Incandescent
by JimmyDANj2
Summary: Marta Lualdi is part of an elite squad of Imperial Knights. Her latest mission involves locating and apprehending a publicly proclaimed mass murderer, Ratatosk. During the mission, something goes awry involving a boy named Emil. Conspiracies are unveiled.
1. Deception

**Author's Note: **Guess what? This is completely and totally out of the blue, but I decided to finally start my second fic! And of course, what better category than Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World? I finally finished going through the entire game, and I can't really say it's better than the first ToS, since I've never played the first myself, but I love the story of ToS 2 so much that I just had to write my own fanfiction about it. And forgive me if I'm going against some viewpoints here, but I adore Emil and Marta's personalities so much more than anybody else from ToS 1 AND 2. And they were pretty much made for each other. Don't worry, there will probably be barely any spoilers at all, since it'll be AU, except maybe some small (or actually, rather significant) concepts transferred over.

**Disclaimer:** *Gasp* I finally get to do a disclaimer for something _other_ than Inuyasha or Legend of Zelda. Yaysies. _Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World, _or pretty much any other _Tales_ game, really, belongs to Namco. Something this great has to, of course, belong to some organization. Without further ado, read on, and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Marta sighed. Why was she here again? Oh yeah, she had to help catch that supposedly crazed killer....what was his name? Rata...Rate...Ratatosk! Yes, that's what it was.

Her palm was currently supporting her chin as her elbow rested on the bottom edge of the open window. The open air caused her light brown hair to whip in every which direction, as her half-lidded sapphire eyes gazed, bored, at the passing scenery outside the car.

They had just left the city of Sybak, and as they passed the urban areas, the environment slowly started to shift to a more rural one. Pastures, farms, and animals could be seen more frequently. A penned in sheep to their right bleated weakly as the car passed.

"What's the matter, Marta? You don't look so perky," A girl to the right of her asked with a concerned face.

Marta briefly glanced at her, before turning her gaze to the outside once more.

"I dunno, Karin. I guess I just feel a bit out of it today. I don't really feel like going to catch some notorious criminal right about now...What did he exactly do, again?"

Karin stooped below for a moment, and rose up with some files in her hands.

"Let's see..." she mused as she thumbed through the papers. "According to this...he has killed numerous people, about 300, to be more specific, with many of them being Imperial Knights like us."

Marta raised her eyebrows, surprised.

"Then, he's pretty dangerous, isn't he? To kill Imperial Knights...any motive?"

"Not that we can see. He's shrouded in complete mystery. Not much is known about him at all. Nothing about his appearance or background...just that he goes by 'Ratatosk', and that he was spotted in the general area we're heading to now."

"And we're headed to....Palmacosta, right?"

"Yeah. Seems he's hiding out here or something. Hopefully, the civilians won't get dragged into this."

Marta pondered this for a while.

_Hmm...it seems pretty risky. But nothing I can do about it. It's my job, after all...._

The car screeched to a halt.

The doors opened, and a group of six walked out.

"Phew!" Karin cheerfully exclaimed. "Finally! It was cramped in there...."

Included among their number were Marta, who was easily the youngest of them, Karin, three men who looked to be in their twenties, and one burly, hulking, giant of a man with a scar gashed across one eye.

They were all garbed in armor of a unique design. The plates were purple, and an insignia was etched onto their chest areas, depicting the head of a lion hovering above two clashing blades.

"So....this is Palmacosta..." Marta said slowly.

Karin walked from the parked car directly to the entrance of the village.

As she entered, she peered around, and said, "Whoa...it's such a...rural area."

Marta followed her and nodded.

"Yeah...I didn't expect there to be much of a countryside so close to town..." she murmured.

One of the men walked forward and took charge, taking the role of their leader.

"Right. Okay, guys, we're not here for sightseeing. Get ready at any given moment to engage in sudden combat if need be."

One of the other men rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, we got it Lance. Just 'cause you're the leader, y'don't have to be so uptight about it."

Lance growled and glared in the speaker's direction.

"Apparently I _do,_ since none of you are obviously being serious at all. Especially you, Roland. Really, we have to take this job more seriously. Ratatosk has been deemed a mass murderer and extremely dangerous. We have to be on our guard."

Roland merely yawned in response.

The third younger man, who carried with him a much more calm air, spoke in a relaxing demeanor.

"Alright, alright. It won't do us any good to quibble amongst ourselves. Let us just remain composed. Cargle, do you have the tracker ready?"

The large, bulky man grunted in response, and held out a tiny yellow device with numerous blinking lights and buttons located about its surface.

"You know, you _could_ speak up and respond to Garith, Cargle...why are you always so silent? The strong, silent type, hmm?" Roland inquired.

"Leave him alone, Roland," Karin snapped. "Don't pry in personal business if he doesn't want to tell you anything."

"Alright, geez. I was just asking a question."

Cargle merely grunted once more, and aimed the yellow device in the air.

Marta glanced at it.

"What's that thing supposed to do again, exactly?"

"Well, in one of Ratatosk's many 'excursions'...we supposedly were able to quickly get a sample of his mana signature at the last minute. This object can use that signature to track down his location. Which is why we were able to come here, following him," Garith cheerfully explained.

Lance folded his arms and glared at the beeping device.

"Which means....we will use it to discover where Ratatosk is hiding in this village."

Marta frowned.

"U-Umm...excuse m-me....but...."

The group turned, surprised, to the voice that just addressed them.

"A-Are you...Imperial Knights? C-Can I ask what you're doing here...?"

Speaking to them was a boy, who looked about sixteen years of age, with a head full of messy blonde hair. He was wearing a shirt and a pair of blue overalls that were covered with dirt and specks of dust from the waist down. His gloved hands were currently gripping a rake upright, which had its rounded end thudding onto the ground. Protuberant emerald eyes gazed at the group curiously with a meek visage.

Lance strode forward, up to him.

"Boy, we are looking for a criminal on the loose, who's known as Ratatosk. We have tracked him here, to Palmacosta. Do you know anything about where he could be or any information at all regarding him?"

The boy's eyes widened.

"R-Ratat-tosk...?" he stammered out, the hands holding the rake suddenly wobbling.

Lance crossed his arms and nodded with a kind of self-satisfied understanding.

"Yes, I understand you are frightened. After all, Ratatosk's reputation of murder and terrible acts would render anyone speechl-"

"Lance! Stop that. You're scaring the poor boy," Marta scolded.

The boy stuttered once again.

"N-No, it's just that...R-Ratato..."

Roland raised an eyebrow.

"'Poor boy'? He looks like he's pretty much the same age as you."

"Shut it, Roland," Marta snapped.

She then turned to the boy and kindly inquired, "What's your name?"

The boy glanced at her briefly, then lowered his head, causing his bangs to overshadow his green eyes.

"...I...um...my name's Emil."

Marta smiled.

"Well then, Emil...have you seen anything or anyone suspicious around this area? Anything at all?"

"W-Well, um....I-"

Suddenly, a shrill beeping noise repeatedly sounded from behind Marta. She whipped around to see the tracker in Cargle's hand emitting a blaring red light.

"Wha...?"

Cargle suddenly sneered.

"Heh. I found him."

Roland walked up to him.

"You found him? Ratatosk?"

Cargle only answered with a further smirk, before raising his head to look at Emil. This caused everyone else to also look towards him.

Marta frowned.

"H-Hold up. Him? He can't be...Ratatosk. I mean, look at him, there's no way he can be anything like a killer."

Roland nodded in consent.

"I'd have to agree with Marta here. This kid doesn't seem anything clo-"

_Squelch._

Roland's eyes widened. A single trail of blood leaked down from the corner of his lips.

He glanced down to see the tip of a large scimitar protruding out from his chest area. Blood was quickly staining his armor dark.

He looked behind him to see a smirking Cargle holding the handle of the scimitar.

"C-Cargle...what...what the hell...are you...."

Cargle viciously pulled his blade back outwards from Roland's body, causing him to wobble for a second, then collapse onto the ground.

"R-ROLAND!!" Lance shouted.

They all hastily unsheathed their weapons, but not before Cargle rushed forward with inhuman speed, and carved a deep gash from Lance's shoulder to his opposite elbow. Lance stumbled, coughed up blood, and he too, collapsed.

"Ho...How can you be so...." Lance mumbled, before his breath hitched and he went still.

Marta stared, horrified, as she gripped her metal spinners tightly.

Cargle grinned, his eyes widening with bloodlust. His weapon lay slack at his side, with the areas that weren't marred with blood gleaming in the sunlight.

He turned slowly, his bulky body rotating on the spot, and faced Garith and Karin, both of whom tensed up in preparation for what was to come, Garith gripping his axe tightly, and Karin holding her twin daggers.

Cargle raised his scimitar, and, with a huge movement, swung it down, the insignia on his armor's chest area glowing red. A red wave of destruction cleaved the ground as it rushed towards the pair.

They gasped, and attempted to guard against it, but the blast easily overtook them, and ploughed them both along the ground, deep into the forest that lay beyond the village, leaving a lengthy indentation in the ground.

The villagers had screamed, and were already hastily running about in chaos, in the general direction opposite of the village entrance.

Marta stood, frozen.

_What just happened...? How could Cargle gain this kind of power? I-If the others were killed so easily, I don't have a chance! I-I can't even run away...._

Cargle stonily glanced at his next victim. Marta trembled, her grip on her spinners loosening.

"Well...last one, and the mission cover-up will be complete...."

He rushed towards her with that same inhuman velocity, and prepared to end her the same way as he ended her comrades.

Marta braced herself, but before the imminent impact came, a blur rushed in front of her.

A resounding _clang_, and Marta opened her previously closed eyes to see a head of blonde hair situated in front of her.

"E-Emil??"

"Tch. Don't call me by that wuss's name. Even if we _are _the same person, I refuse to be acknowledged the same way as that weakling."

Emil tensed his muscles, then swung his blade in a wide arc, causing Cargle to stumble backwards in a display of sparks.

He turned around and fixed Marta with a glare.

She gasped. His eyes weren't that shade of green that she observed before. They had changed to a blood-red crimson.

Marta trembled, and took an involuntary step backwards. She could practically feel the lust for battle emanating from the boy in front of her.

"Y-You...E-Emil...? Wh-What's..."

Emil growled, hitching his heavy and cumbersome blade on his shoulder.

"I told you....do not call me that. I am _Ratatosk._ And-" He suddenly stopped, then in the tiniest increment of time, managed to turn on the spot, grip his huge blade, and block the swing from Cargle's attempted pre-emptive strike.

The corners of Emil's mouth curled upwards in a smirk.

"Oh, you're a feisty one. Good. Maybe you won't be as boring as those others you guys have sent after me."

Cargle's furious face turned a further shade of red, as he bared his teeth in an effort to hold the boy's considerable strength, which belied his rather small stature.

It seemed as if the two were at a standstill. Each blade was pushing against the other, yet neither had gained any considerable ground. However, Emil still held that smirk on his face.

"I'd have thought..." he started slowly. "...that after all those attempts and scruples..." Cargle's feet dragged slightly on the ground.

"...you guys would be at least a bit more enlightened on how exactly I fight."

With that, Emil had four of his fingers tighten slightly on the large, horizontal handle of his blade. His thumb then promptly curled inwards and pushed a trigger that was latched onto the handle, a trigger Marta had not noticed before.

A massive, purple blast erupted from the tip of Emil's blade, and impacted Cargle directly in the face. He was blown backwards, and thrown into a tree. A sickening crunch was heard as his back collided with the thick trunk.

Cargle coughed up blood, and panted. He raised one massive arm to wipe away the blood that had accumulated at the corner of his lip.

Marta's eyes widened.

_A gunblade! I've-I've heard of people using those...though they're really rare, and not many people can wield it proficiently._

Sure enough, at the tip of Emil's thick blade was a hole, no doubt where the shots come out whenever he squeezes the trigger.

Emil grinned as once again hitched his blade up against his shoulder.

"What's the matter, you brute? I thought you would be only too eager to come at me. Could it be that you didn't realize you would lose this easily?" Emil taunted.

Marta remained rooted to the ground where she stood.

_H-He's like a completely different person. What happened? He's nothing like that timid boy I saw earlier._

Cargle gave a feral snarl, and sprinted towards Emil.

Emil glared.

"Hmph. I thought you'd run away. Charging in like an animal won't help you, you know."

Emil ducked under the wide swipe Cargle made. He snarled and swung his scimitar down, only to have Emil easily sidestep it, and kick outwards at Cargle's shoulder. This caused him to stumbled backwards. However, he quickly rose up again and released a flurry of swipes, all of which Emil effortlessly dodged.

Emil continued to frown as he brushed aside a thrust with his own blade.

"Look," he began, as he flipped backwards to avoid Cargle's downward thrust.

"...I really think you deserve to die after all that. I despise thickheaded mongrels like you." Cargle sent a red wave of crackling energy at Emil. He responded by leaping upwards and pointing his gunblade down, pressing the trigger. The blast canceled the attack out.

Emil landed gracefully and continued as if there was no interruption.

"But the wimp's nagging at me not to kill anyone. He gets really annoying sometimes. So I think it's in your best interest to cease this fruitless attempt and wander along back to your precious Empire, while you're still given a chance to live. Otherwise, I'll really have to kill you, my conscience be damned."

Cargle paid him no heed, as he once again rushed towards Emil, charging his malevolent red energy in his blade.

Emil smirked and positioned himself.

"Well, whatever. It's not _my_ problem now. On your own head..." Emil leaped upwards, over Cargle. He stared, confused, at the ground where Emil once stood.

Emil landed, facing Cargle's wide back, and pointed his gunblade directly at the back of Cargle's head.

"...be it."

Marta winced and looked away.

She heard a distinct "bang", and saw a purple flash in the periphery of her vision.

She tentatively looked back, and observed Cargle's corpse sprawled over the ground, spread eagle, the mass amounts of blood obscuring what was left of his head.

Her stomach uncomfortably lurched as she looked back at Emil. His face had been peppered with droplets of blood, his red eyes scrunched up in annoyance, as his gunblade hung limply down at his side.

He looked her way, then sighed. He sheathed his gunblade back in the large holster on his back.

"One hell of a job you have, eh?"

Marta laughed weakly, despite herself.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well....there it is. I hope that I'm capable of writing something _other_ than Feral Souls. Well, you guys'll be the judge of that, hm? I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Feral Souls will probably take priority, but don't worry, I don't plan on abandoning this story anytime soon, particularly if you guys like it. Well, I won't know that until you review, eh? So, please send your feedback. Look forward to more!

Random quotation of the day:

"On what grounds do you plead insanity?"

"Well, they hired me as their lawyer, didn't they?"

Lol, I don't think I've seen a bad episode of Futurama yet.


	2. Windswept

**Author's Note:** Hah....okay....second chapter out....sorry for the wait....you know....priorities and stuff......like, I'm COMPLETELY swamped right now.....junior year is a bitch.......well, anyway, don't worry about me dropping this story. When I like something so much as to write a fanfiction about it, you can bet I will hold to my committments. Still, Feral Souls takes priority. Just reiterating one more time.

**Disclaimer: **If I owned TOS: DOTNW, I would have had Marta screw backing off for the sake of considering Emil's feelings. It doesn't matter, Marta! Go for it! He's completely yours!!! Like, really, overwhelm him with your obsessive love!!! Ahh, the potential.....anyway, sadly, I don't, Namco does, and so Marta doesn't do any of that. *sad face*

Enjoy!

* * *

Marta put forth one shaky step. And then another. She took another look at Cargle's corpse, and had to clasp a trembling hand to her mouth to keep from vomiting.

"Y-You...didn't have to kill him...."

Emil scoffed, then smeared the blood on his face with one wipe of his sleeve. After a few more continual rubs, he wiped it off.

"It's a dog eat dog world. Kill or be killed. What, did you just expect me to just stand there doing nothing while he beats us both to a pulp? It was unavoidable. You saw him. Besides, didn't he just kill all of your comrades?"

"Yeah, b-but...I mean...you just took his life. I...I don't exactly take well with deaths.....Well, it's just that...just, killing is so...."

Emil snorted.

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious that you're all wishy-washy when it comes to things like this."

Emil stared at her trembling form.

"...Right, it's completely understandable that you'd enlist to become an Imperial Knight given that you have such a problem with killing. _Completely_ logical." He sarcastically drawled.

Marta glared indignantly at him.

"Sh-Shut up! I have my own reasons that you have no right to know! B-Besides, not all of us can...can just take a life without batting an eye! Like you just did! Oh, and that reminds me!" Marta, still visibly trembling, pointed an accusatory finger at Emil.

"What...what just happened here?? I...I have no idea just what went on! Why did Cargle...? And you, with the...and...and...well, aren't you supposed to be some mass murderer? Th-They said you killed something like 300 people!" Marta heaved slightly with her frantic statements.

Emil looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Oh yeah. Right. Tch, I don't even know _what_ they're spouting these days about me anymore. I just sorta tune it out. Anyway, complete bull."

Marta lowered her finger, confused.

"P-Pardon?"

"That's all complete bull. Not that I really care. Let people think what they think about me. If they can't distinguish such a blatant lie from whatever's really goin' on, then tough, it's their loss for being such complete idiots."

Marta furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

"S-So...you_ didn't_ kill all those people...?"

Emil rolled his eyes.

"No. I didn't."

He swiveled in place, and started to walk away, in the direction of the forest surrounding the village.

Marta started.

"W-Wait! Where are you going?? You still haven't told me what exactly's going on!"

Emil halted without looking back.

"And why should I tell you anything? I don't owe any explanations to you. Go find them at that pathetic Empire of yours."

Marta came to a stop, and glared at his back feebly.

"Y-You can't just-"

But she was interrupted, as Emil seemed to wince, before angrily shouting, "Alright, alright! God, you're such a pain in the ass! Always checking over every single damned detail! Go on then! But _you're_ gonna have to explain it!!"

Emil growled, then abruptly ceased.

He slowly turned around, and Marta glimpsed green eyes gazing apologetically at her.

His arm came up and around to the back of his head, and he rubbed it sheepishly.

"U-Umm....I'm..." He took a deep breath. "I'm really sorry, Miss Marta. I....seem to have done it again, huh? I tried to tell him not to kill, but...." he sighed.

"It s-seems that it was unavoidable."

Marta blinked, and then her face showed deep bewilderment.

_Okay, NOW I'm even more freaked out....'Miss' Marta? Just what the hell is going on??_

Emil turned to face her completely.

"Miss Marta, I am truly sorry for involving you in all this....it was unforgivable of me to do that. Your friends were even...." he trailed off.

"B-But! It would have been even more unforgivable to have dragged you into this, and then not tell anything of what's going on. You deserve to know, after everything that's happened, and I had to at least intervene so Ratatosk wouldn't just leave you there like that."

Marta just looked even more confused.

"Wait, what...? I don't even know _what_ happened...this is all so weird."

Emil nodded.

"Yes, I'm sorry. But it looks like we can't linger here for long. People will come back after they see the danger's passed...and law enforcement will undoubtedly soon look into this. I-I'm sorry, Miss Marta, but I don't think I can explain anything here. Can you come with me? I-I can answer all your questions once we're away from here..."

"W-Well I-" However, she was cut off when they heard distant footsteps and voices approaching their location.

Emil's eyes flashed crimson once again, as his eyebrows narrowed in a glare.

"We have no time for this! This is something I dislike the most about you, wimp! You're so slow to get everything done! Tch, whatever! Here, just come with me, idiot girl."

And before Marta could utter any protest, he grasped her wrist tightly and dragged her roughly with him while he sped towards the dark depths of the outlying forest.

"H-Hey! Y-You-"

Emil merely tugged harder, causing Marta to almost stumble.

"Shut up."

Marta winced as she felt branches and various foliage sliding irritably across her skin.

After being dragged along for 10 minutes, sustaining numerous scratches and scrapes along the way, Marta was finally able to catch her breath when Emil abruptly stopped.

He turned his head one way, and then the other.

"Tch. Alright, this is probably far enough."

He shifted around to face Marta. She observed specks of red melding into green, before Emil faced her fully.

"O-okay, Miss Marta. Umm...I think you'd better take a seat."

Marta did so, finding a flat rock surrounded by shrubbery, and daintily sitting on it, all the while glaring at Emil.

_There'd better be something some good explanation for this. Not like this guy could get any _more_ suspicious._

"So. Let's hear it. What the heck's been going on? And how do you know my name already?"

Emil blinked.

"Oh, well...I overheard your friend talking to you, and calling you Marta, so, you know, I figured..."

"Okay, okay, I get it." Marta waved his sentence off. "But don't call me 'Miss Marta'. I hate being formally addressed."

"Al-Alright, Mis-I mean, um, Marta."

Marta continued to glare at him.

"Just what is up with you? One minute you act a complete jerk, and the next....you become a completely different person..."

Emil sighed.

"Y-Yeah, it's a long story..."

"Well, not like I'm going anywhere, apparently."

"O-Okay...that is....it sorta all begins with the creation of our world. In the beginning...our world was unstable. The radical energies that surged through, all kinds of energy, were too rampant to create any orderly beginning. Life could not begin until this was stabilized...so special governing spirits were established. They were known as the Centurions. Seven of them were created, all representing different elements, to conflict with each other's energies, and thus balance the world. Only by cooperating together in harmony to govern the laws and mana of the world could they accomplish this task. To keep them in line, one other spirit was created. This one would watch over and make sure that the energies of the other spirits were doing their job....this spirit was the spirit of Judgement: Ratatosk. Its task was to Maintain."

Marta's face exuded shock.

"Um...I just ask what happened...and the explanation is something of that scale...?"

"W-wait...there's a bit more.....um...it might seem a bit too...abstract to actually tie in with all this, but....it'll all make sense...."

Marta still looked confused, but shrugged and motioned for Emil to continue.

"E-Every era that our world evolves and adjusts into contains different aspects. The....Centurions' spirits are without substance that can tangibly connect to our world, or conscious thought or life. They are simply nothing more than pure energy. So...in every generation...the spirits will flow into physical anchors of the world, usually a general region or area, and govern the part of the worldly energies that they're meant to govern. This tale of our world origination is told to only a select few people, usually very high up in society, who can keep the secrets of Creation to himself or herself."

Emil's gaze lowered, and his blonde bangs obscured his emerald eyes once more.

"But....in our day and age, when our era began...something....went wrong. Something or someone disrupted the usual relocation of Centurion energy. Instead of anchoring themselves in the environment...each spirit, through some divine will or of their own....seeked out a human host. Any human who had not been born yet was viable to suddenly share his or her spirit with that of a Centurion. That....is what happened to me."

Marta blinked.

"S-So you're...?"

"Yes. My body houses the spirit of Ratatosk, the Centurion of Judgement. S-So...because the spirit was integrated into me, it became a part of me since I was conceived."

"So that drastically different personality that comes out sometimes...is Ratatosk?"

"Well...not exactly. The spirit...is just that. A form of energy. It really doesn't have conscious thought or feeling. Though, sometimes, I feel that it has a will of its own, so that may be what caused....anyway...the personality that comes out is just a part of me that was created as a result of the spirit's influence. Once my soul became entwined with Ratatosk's, some...trait was manifested in me that reflects the power of the Centurion. But that trait is still mine. A-as hard as it is to believe...that other me....really is me. At least, a different part of me. He just prefers to be called the same name as the spirit I have in me."

Marta held her head with one hand. She was afraid that she was going to faint from the insistent pounding in her head that suddenly started.

"Then...how do you know all this?"

"Although the spirit can't really think for itself...it still contains knowledge of its duty and of the world's beginnings. Everything it knew was transferred to me when it integrated my soul."

Marta bit her lip.

"Then...there are others?"

Emil hesitated.

"Yes. Every spirit will have found a human host by now. Seven others. Though I'm not sure how the spirit affects them. It could be a personality change....or something else. And...therein lies the problem."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"I mean that....being trapped and confined in human bodies....the spirits cannot set out to do what they were meant to. They cannot balance the world and exert their energies unless we give them free reign over the environment. Which is why....it is my job...as the host of the spirit of Judgement...to maintain order....and discover the location of every human host. I will gather them all together...in order to prevent future disasters that would otherwise....inevitably occur."

Marta nodded.

"Okay...I-I think I've got it...but what does any of this have to do with what happened with Cargle?"

Emil bitterly replied.

"There are others who know of what happened with the Centurions. Some of them...are greedy. And they know that the spirits are now contained in one, easy to access, human body. So they will attempt to capture anyone who holds a spirit, and somehow extract the spirit's power to fulfill their own selfish desires."

Emil was silent for a moment.

"It...It's not common knowledge that the Empire was suddenly taken over by a different entity about two years ago. Probably by a hostile takeover...someone else is at the fore of the Empire now. Controlling everything behind the scenes. From two years ago...the Empire abruptly changed many policies. It is manipulating all those under it. Before, it was a benevolent government force...now, it holds an oppressive dictatorship. And...."

He hesitated again.

"...now it is after the Centurions."

Marta's eyes widened.

"N-Now that you mention it....though I wasn't enlisted two years ago....I...did notice something off about the Empire....things became different..."

Emil nodded.

"So...they're using various means to capture the hosts of the spirits. Like with me, for example. I'm on the run right now because they proclaimed that I was a mass murderer. That gives them an advantage and help from society in capturing me. Um....y-you don't have to believe me...it's just that you deserve to know after being a victim...."

Marta shook her head.

"N-No...it ties in with everything...even if it is a bit....far-fetched. So....Cargle was....one of the people they told about what they're really doing?"

"Yes. He, along with plenty others, work under the Empire as true agents who know their real purpose."

"I see...."

Marta then frowned.

"But...once you gather everyone...how will you release the spirits?"

Emil, for some reason, wore a grim smile.

"...There....is a reason why only Ratatosk's host is given the task. He alone holds the power to connect all the other spirits together. So...once I find them all, I will integrate every spirit within my body, expelling them from their respective hosts. The hosts' souls will be slightly damaged temporarily because of the sudden jerk of their spirit...but they'll most likely be okay. All the Centurion spirits will then be released from my body."

Marta pondered this.

"Oh...okay...."

Her frown did not leave her face.

"Wait just a minute...what'll happen to you? You'll be alright, too, right?"

Emil's gaze was downcast. He remained silent.

Marta's voice suddenly turned fearful.

"Emil...? Y-You'll be alright, too, right??"

A few more seconds of silence.

Marta's gaze turned slightly frantic.

"E-Emil-! Y-!"

She was cut off as Emil raised his head, revealing, once again, deep red eyes.

A bittersweet smile twisted his face.

"Isn't it obvious, idiot girl? It's pretty cut and dry from then on. I'll spell it out for you. The energy released will be too much for this body. And so..."

He stood up completely straight.

"**_I will die._**"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Phew! Alright! Second chapter is finito! Again, sorry for the wait. Reeeally got a helluva lot on my plate right now. Well, anyway, aside from that, what'd you think? Lotsa explanations, right? So quickly, too. For those of you who don't like chapters like these, don't worry, I don't plan on too many explanation chapters. I mean, they just seem really chunky...I tried my best with this one, but, you know....it's up to you whether you like it or not. Anyway, you'll notice a lot of things different from the original game. AU is awesome like that, cuz you can just take things waayyyy outta context, you know? But there in itself lies risk. What if readers don't like the twisted version of whatever you took out of context? Haha. Anyway, you'll notice Emil is his own person in this one. Born a human. Yep. Crazy, right? Alright, now I'm just rambling. Review, please! It'll make my day.

Random quotation of the day:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I....I took the one less traveled by....

....now where the HELL am I?!?!?"

Lol, sorry Robert Frost, not that I don't think you're brilliant and all, but this was pure gold.


	3. Overwhelming

**Author's Note: **UPDATE!! Hooray! Well, at least it didn't take a whole month like it did for Feral Souls. Anyway, I have to clarify something pretty important that I got reviews about. No, it wasn't a mistake that I put in only seven Centurions. I find Ice rather redundant, since Water's already there, so that particular element will not be in my story. Sorry if that confused anyone. Well, then, I hope people haven't forgot about my story already...you guys ARE still reading it, right? Right? *cricket, cricket* Well, anyway...I need lotsa love, in the form of reviews, in order to have motivation to not take so damn long next time! So...read, review, and most importantly, enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World is too awesome to be owned by a lowly plebeian of the masses like myself. Namco's the top dog that has rights to it. They are awesome. Which is why games like ToS have been conceived. :)

* * *

"You'll...die? Y-You're kidding...right?"

Emil snorted.

"Why the hell would I lie about something like that? It's all written in stone. _If_ I succeed, anyway."

He yawned, stretching out his arms as he did so, then started to walk deeper into the forest.

"Well, there you have it. Satisfied? Now bug off."

Marta's head snapped up.

"Y-You're just...leaving?"

"No shit. What else would I do?"

Marta reached her arm out after him, before catching herself. She bit her lip.

"W-Wait! Um...I..." She inhaled a deep breath, before blurting out, "C-Can I come with you???"

This caused Emil to stop in his tracks.

"...What're you, an idiot? Weren't you listening at all? This isn't something that you can just suddenly decide on a whim."

Marta stood up and glared, albeit hesitantly, at his retreating back.

"I-It's not on a whim! I...after this, I...really have nowhere to go. I can't....and even before, where I barely...it's just...I have no purpose now. A-And....I want to help you. Even if just slightly, if I can...I feel like I really should help you. Besides! It's not like I can just go anywhere out in the open now!! After that, the Empire will surely be after me! They'll go through whatever means necessary to make sure I keep quiet! There isn't anywhere to go for me after this regardless!"

Emil's red eyes were half-lidded as he stared back at her.

"Well, then, that totally changes everything, doesn't it? Boo-hoo for you. Cry me a river. And here's me playing on the world's smallest violin. I've been on the run for two years. Now you'll have to be as well. Deal with it."

"B-But isn't it more efficient to...to work together on something like this? I...you shouldn't have to be alone."

Emil sighed.

"Well, I am. And that's the way that it has to be. I've told you before. This journey is gonna be riddled with dangers. And it was always meant for me to go alone. You'd just be a nuisance and get in the way."

Marta opened her mouth, only to close it again, after having found that she couldn't think of anything to say.

Emil's glare softened.

"Marta, it's just his-well, my-way of saying that...it's too dangerous, and I don't want to see you hurt because you were with me. Please understand that it's best...for me to just do this by myself."

"I'd be fine! I'm a former Imperial Knight! I can take care of myself! Can't I j-" She was cut off as something to their right shook and brushed the leaves back and forth.

Emil's eyes narrowed.

They snapped open, burning scarlet, before he tackled Marta to the ground. Marta landed on her back just in time, before a spear of massive proportions flew, point-blank, across the clearing directly above the two of them. It crashed through the underbrush on the other side.

Emil slowly stood up, panting, and glared at the spot where the spear had come from.

Through the floating debris and through the dark shadows cast by the shrubbery, a figure could be made out as it slowly stepped towards them.

A rough-faced man with a head of thick, spiked hair emerged out of the dust. He was encased from head to toe in an armor of bright gold, and his bushy mustache was quirked upward from its corner as a smirk appeared on his lips. The same lion insignia found on Marta was fixed on his golden chest plate.

"Well, well, well..." His voice came out as a low rumble.

"At last, I am privileged with the honor of meeting the famed Ratatosk."

Marta scrambled up hastily.

"Y-You're...Captain Magnar!! Of the Imperial Knights!!"

He chuckled.

"Why, yes. I suppose I most certainly am. I apologize most profusely, but I'm afraid our first meeting will...not be a pleasant one."

He rushed forward, curling his fist and slamming it towards the ground where Emil stood.

Emil leaped to the side and unsheathed his gunblade. The dust descended to reveal a gaping crater among the debris right where Emil had stood a moment before.

Emil scrunched up his nose in distaste.

"Keh. More of the Empire's drecks."

Magnar had walked over casually and already picked up his tremendous spear.

"I am sorry you see us as such. For though we must engage in such ugly matters...it is necessary to help bring about a great revolution, and create a better society."

Emil snarled.

"Save it for those who actually give a shit."

He immediately held his blade directly in front of him and pulled the trigger.

The recoil caused him to reel back slightly and take a step to steady himself, but the violet blast flew, like an enormous bullet, straight and true towards its target.

Magnar seemed amused, before moving nothing but his arm upwards in a vicious slashing motion.

His spear cleaved Emil's blast neatly in two, causing the separated chunks to get diverted diagonally outwards, exploding when they landed on the foliage of the deep forest perimeter.

"I see...the reports were accurate, it seems. You use a gunblade...and quite efficiently at that. To actually have no real bullets, but to fire blasts of your own mana...that takes unusual skill."

"But..." he sighed.

"Unfortunately for you...the power our great Empire can bestow...especially on one already possessing power such as mine...is too much for someone like you to understand."

Emil glared.

"You people just don't give up. You'll never be able catch me, if the past is any indication."

Magnar grinned.

"But in the _past_...we never sent someone such as myself."

He, without any warning, suddenly lashed out with his spear, towards Marta, who gasped before ducking just in time to avoid getting decapitated.

She unhooked her metal spinners from her back, before dashing over to Emil's side.

"Hmm...you have better reflexes than I thought...even if you were originally part of the Imperial Knights, I did wonder why they had to send _me_ to take care of you. But, I suppose, since Ratatosk is here as well...it makes sense to kill two birds with one stone."

"Emil...what do we do now?" Marta whispered.

"What else? We kick his excuse for an ass!!" He roared.

He sprinted towards Magnar, who created a shockwave by slamming his spear down.

Emil sprung up into the air, and somersaulted, before using the spinning momentum to smash his blade down at Magnar's cranium.

Magnar swung his spear up and blocked the strike with ease.

Emil gritted his teeth, attempting to hold himself steady against Magnar's immense strength, before suddenly letting his muscles go slack and simultaneously slamming his finger down on the trigger.

Magnar grunted as the ball of energy enveloped him and the blast propelled him backwards, dragging his huge form along the grainy forest floor.

"Heh...." he said as he heaved himself back up. "Not bad....but as I said before..." Magnar grinned at the panting Emil.

"...Incomparable to one backed by the might of the Empire."

With incomprehensible speed and burst of red, Magnar blasted forward, lifting his spear over his shoulder.

Emil pressed the trigger again, but this time instead of shooting outwards, the energy flowed from the tip and dispersed, enveloping the entirety of the blade itself.

He gripped his charged blade with both hands and swung it fiercely in an arc.

Magnar, with unprecedented nimbleness, planted one foot in the ground and propelled himself upwards, above the diagonal swing of Emil's purple blade.

The huge spear descended, and Emil let go of his blade in order to zip to the side, avoiding the impact.

Magnar sneered. His arms did not stop their swing. The spear kept going until its head thrust itself into the ground. Magnar was dragged forward slightly, but otherwise completely halted in mid-air, the spear supporting him.

"You've still got a lot to learn, boy."

And with that, he charged his right foot with the same demonic energy emanating from his spear, and flung his foot outwards in a devastating kick. Emil's eyes widened a split second before it struck. His head snapped to the side with the impact, and a sickening crack sounded. Marta watched, horrified, as, seemingly in slow motion, Emil flew straight across the clearing. His back caused one, two trees to splinter, and he lurched as a third brought him to a bone-crunching halt.

Emil harshly coughed, and clapped a hand to his mouth before spitting out blood.

He closed his eyes and groaned in pain.

Magnar's grin did not disappear from his face.

"Ah, what fun. I haven't exercised that much in a while. You're not bad at all. I definitely could see how Cargle got defeated."

He plucked his spear out of the ground, and took slow, deliberate steps towards the incapacitated teenager.

"And now...to finish the job. Don't worry, you won't be killed."

He again lifted his spear high above his head, and prepared to bring it down.

A whip of wind alerted Magnar of the spinning metal disk that suddenly careened smoothly over his head. It soared over and around, coming back to zoom directly towards Magnar's forehead.

"Hmph." He frowned.

He easily deflected the spinner with his spear, but it was then that he realized the spinner was connected to a thin, almost invisible strand.

On the other end, Marta, with her right hand, hurled her second spinner while simultaneously jerking the first spinner's string sideways, back towards Magnar.

Magnar growled in frustration, and whipped his spear to the side, deflecting the spinner yet again, only too hastily leap backwards to dodge the second spinner, which had cleaved its way through the air down to his legs.

All throughout this exchange, Marta had been chanting rapidly, a crease on her forehead showing her unbroken concentration.

"Little girl, what makes you think you stand a chance when even Ratatosk was so easily beaten?"

Marta only yanked both strings back towards him yet again, and continued chanting.

Magnar spun in a wide circle, reflecting both spinners outwards with his spear.

"I recognize that spell. What makes you think Photon can do anything to me? With your weak power, you'll be lucky to even scratch me."

Marta opened her eyes wider, sucked in a breath, then shouted.

"_Photon!"_

Magnar smirked, amused, until he realized that specks of light were converging directly in front of his face, millimeters away. More and more specks started to converge, and the center grew larger and larger, until all the light radiated outwards at once as one tremendous burst of energy.

"Gaaaargh!!" Magnar bellowed.

He reeled back, his visage furious, but his eyes closed, water leaking out of both corners.

"You little bitch!! You blinded me?!?!"

Marta wasted no time in pulling back her spinners and dashing towards the fallen Emil. She slung one of his arms over her shoulders and grimaced as she hefted him up, causing his feet to drag at a curve.

"Grrg, get back here! Where the fuck are you?!?"

Magnar was thrashing around, groping in thin air with one massive hand, his spear slack at his side.

Marta pulled with all her might, but only managed to move a couple feet before collapsing onto a knee.

"Come on, Emil! Get ahold of yourself! We've got to-Eep!!"

Magnar had heard her voice and hurled his spear in the vague direction he thought her to be in. It missed by a few feet to the left, crashing through the bushes and snapping branches.

"Rrrg....he won't stay blinded for long..."

Emil cracked open one eye blearily.

"Tch...what....a nuisance. This...is nothing. I'm...Ratatosk, I can still..." And with a huge effort, he managed to plant both feet on the ground on his own, albeit very shakily.

Marta smiled in relief.

"That's it, Emil....alright, we've got to hurry and hide!"

With Marta supporting Emil, the pair trudged through the dense forested area, where the canopy overhead and thick shrubbery concealed them.

Magnar had then finally recovered from his transient state of blindness.

His red eyes angrily watered as he shouted out in fury.

"GAH! Where you did go, maggots?!?! Grah....they're like insects, darting this way and that."

He then ploughed his way through the trees, in search of the two.

* * *

Marta carefully laid Emil down at the base of a tree. She then rummaged around in her knapsack for her first aid kit. After lugging it out, she unrolled a bundle of bandages, and started applying it to Emil's wounds.

"Sorry, I would just use First Aid instead....but then Magnar would just track us down. We can't use any mana at all since he has a tracker."

"Hmph, I know th-Ouch! Watch it, woman!" he seethed in response to Marta pressing down to stick the bandages onto his chest area.

"Well, excuse me for trying to help you."

"Tch, I told you that I don't need your help. You saw what kind of people were after me if you come along. They'd be upon you like_ that_, and you wouldn't stand a chance."

Marta frowned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, yeah, since instead I _could_ do as well as you did against him," she uttered sarcastically. "They'd be upon me no matter what now, since I was already supposed to die, anyway. And after that, you _still_ think it's alright to just keep going on your own? You'd be dead by now if I didn't jump in and save you! I keep trying to tell you, it's better for both of us, and more efficient, if we can go together."

Emil looked away.

"I've always been alone. And it should always stay that way."

Marta faltered when she saw the pain reflected from behind Emil's crimson eyes.

"W-Well...um...hey, y-you should drink some water..."

She clumsily got out a bottle of water, and hastily twisted the cap off.

"H-Here."

Emil grunted as he took the bottle, and drank.

The bottle, now almost empty, was placed down onto the ground.

"...Thanks for helping me today, Marta. I know it must feel strange, having to suddenly just get tied in with all of this...."

Marta blinked, surprised, and saw that Emil's eyes were emerald once more.

"Oh! You shifted back..." She blinked again, and shook her head vigorously. "Geez, it's so weird talking to you. You never know which Emil you're gonna get a response out of."

Emil said nothing. He seemed deep in contemplation.

He sighed.

"Okay, Marta...I...I guess there's no helping it. It's...definitely safer for you if you travel with me...though I still think you shouldn't get wrapped up in this. But, it's too late now..."

"For...my sake? You're worried about me?"

"Well, I mean..." Emil blushed. "...I-It's as you said. Traveling together would be better for both of us, now that we're both targeted by the Empire."

Marta smiled.

"Heh, it took getting beaten to a pulp to realize that? Well, anyway...thanks, Emil."

She then frowned as she thought of something.

"Um...any particular reason that you were in Palmacosta?"

"Well, one reason is because it was a remote region, so I could hide out there...but it was mainly because I had finally tracked down a Centurion's Core in the vicinity."

Marta's eyes widened.

"Really? So...So someone around here is...?"

Emil nodded.

"Yeah. It's going to be difficult, but usually, the person wouldn't know exactly how to control the soul inside them, and some kind of commotion would be the result."

Marta pondered this.

"Well, alright, then. But first, we have to get to the nearest town that _isn't_ Palmacosta, so we can get you tidied up."

"Wh-What?? But we can't afford to waste any-"

"Nuh-uh!" Marta cut him off. "Your life comes before getting the core. That's another reason I'll have to stay with you. To make sure you don't get too reckless. And judging from today...." she looked over his numerous cuts and scrapes.

"....I'd say that happens _way _too often."

Emil sighed in resignation.

_I've been around her for a day, and I already know it's gonna be useless to try and argue._

Marta grinned cheerfully.

"Then that's settled! We start off in the morning!"

Emil glanced at her. She was so exuberant. It seemed amazing that, after getting caught up in all his dangerous affairs, she was still able to be so...vibrant.

He leaned back against the tree and blew out a breath of air.

But it couldn't stay like this for long. No. To get involved with himself...there was much to it that she didn't fully comprehend the scale of.

One thing was for certain.

_It can't just remain as it is. Sooner or later....she'll have to go...otherwise..._

Emil bitterly touched the scar on his neck.

_It would only end in unbearable pain...for both of us._

* * *

**Author's Note:** And, there we go! Not as much plot, but I feel that this chapter was good in that, well first of course, the battle scenes, and second, Marta and Emil have gotten to know each other a bit better. Just a bit. Yes, I decided to use Magnar. He was just the bulky, dumb, golden-armored guy I needed for this portion of the story. Keep reading so you can find out what happens next! Marta and Emil are worth it, ne?

Random quotation of the day:

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

-Albert Einstein

(So true.)

Look forward to the next one! I will fight with every fiber of my being to deliver it as soon as possible!!


	4. Burdens of Idiosyncrasy

**Author's Note:** Oh...my....God....*hides face in shame* I am SO sorry that it took me almost TWO WHOLE MONTHS to update....Ugh....I promise I will give my utmost to avert situations like this in the future...I sincerely apologize; it's just that I just could not muster up the inspiration for this chapter. Sigh...I suppose it turned out alright though. And for being such wonderful, patient people, you guys get a huge, lengthy chapter. Five thousand somethin' words of pure....well, you'll see, I suppose. Again, *bows head furiously* I _SINCERELY_ apologize!

**Disclaimer:** I obviously do not own this awesome, amazing work of mastery since I'm an utterly lazy slob, and the whole franchise would go to the fiery depths of hell if I DID own it, with such infrequent updates. :) Read and enjoy, fellow ToS lovers!

* * *

Marta opened her mouth, then promptly shut it.

She tried again.

"U-Um..." She trailed off.

Emil was walking with an air of indifference, straight ahead, his back turned to Marta. He changed his rigid position once, raising his arm to brush aside an impeding branch, before going back to his previous stature. Both arms hung limply at his sides as he strode forward in a straight line. He gave no indication that he heard Marta.

She pouted.

_Wh-What's with this atmosphere? Rrrg, he's so frustrating. Well...it's not like we can keep up this awkward air for the entire trip, right? .....Ugh._

"U-Um, hey! Emil, maybe...maybe we should talk about where we should head to."

_Geez, I can't even tell which Emil I'm talking to since his back is turned..._

He finally stopped and swiveled to face her.

"Talk? I thought you were forcing us to head to the nearest town after we get out of this god-forsaken forest. Didn't sound like you left much room for discussion. Obviously, you can't wrap your dense head around just how important getting the core is. " He said as he raised his brows higher above his vermilion eyes.

Marta's vein twitched.

_Calm down, calm down. No need to lose your cool just because you're talking to an insensitive jerk. It's just how he is, it's just how he is..._

She forced a smile.

"I meant _specifically_ where to go. I think we should examine all the nearby towns and see which one isn't as heavily Empire-controlled."

"Cheh. I don't care either way. If they appear, I'll just beat all their asses down."

Marta frowned.

"In _your_ condition? I don't think so."

She sighed.

"Where would you be without me...?" she muttered to herself.

"Getting the core and not wasting time, for one thing."

Marta's vein twitched a second time. She took a deep breath.

"Look...Emil. Can't we...can't we just...have a truce, or something? Y'know, get along? 'Cause we're probably gonna be in each other's company for a long while...."

"Whatever."

Marta stopped walking and glared at his back. She'd just about had it.

"Just what did I do to tick you off so much? Did I do something wrong? If you _really_ don't want me here, then I can just-"

"It's nothing. Forget it. You wouldn't understand."

"Well, if you'd just _talk_ to me, maybe-"

"We're out." He said quietly.

Marta blinked.

"Huh? ...Oh, we made it out."

The forest behind them, the pair had walked out onto a vast field, the grass waving slightly with the breeze, as insects littered the area.

Marta shaded her eyes from the brightly burning sun, and squinted into the distance.

"Hey...." she started slowly. "There's a town! Well, I suppose that's as a good a place as any...seeing as I really have no idea where we are."

Emil stared in the town's direction.

"...It's Luin."

Marta turned to face him.

"What?"

"That town is Luin."

"Oh. Luin, huh? I think I've heard of it somewhere. Well, let's not dawdle. We have to-Emil??"

For Emil had suddenly swiveled in another direction, and walked off.

"W-Wait! Where are you...?"

"We're not going." He said flatly.

Marta walked after him.

"Well of course we're going! We finally come to a town, and you just walk off somewhere? We have to at the very least treat your injuries!!"

"We're not going." He repeated. "Like _they_ would want anything to do with me anyway."

Marta paused.

"Y-You've been there before?"

He said nothing, and sped up his pace.

Marta frowned.

_Geez. How is it that an injured person can even go that fast?_

Marta sighed.

"Well, fine. _I'm _going, anyway."

She turned back in the direction of the town, and started walking.

_Hmph. I figure he'll just go off and sulk somewhere. That oughta give me enough time to get some supplies. And ask about any strange rumors._

* * *

Marta sighed as she finally entered the town's perimeters. She looked around.

"Huh. Pretty lively for such a small town. Now, let's see..."

Her thoughts were corroded to a stand-still, however, when the sound of screaming rent the air, causing a sense of apprehension to permeate her rigid form.

"Wha...?"

She peered in the direction from where the screaming had come from, and observed several armed men, each wearing the Imperial insignia, striding into town. Sounds of metal scraping against metal could be heard, their armor clanking noisily as they walked.

Marta narrowed her eyes. This did not bode well. Not at all.

And that was when she noticed a woman knocked to the ground, the one who most likely had let out the scream.

Her ears distinctly picked the sounds of frantic whispering.

"Th-They're here again!"

"B-But why? It's too early! They're not scheduled to come for at least two weeks...."

"Crap...can't they just leave us alone?"

One of the soldiers, obviously the leader, stepped forward with a smirk, and bellowed out with a rough, scratchy voice.

"Oi, oi!! What're you waitin' for, eh? You know what to do by now! We've come loads of times before this, so get to it, scum!!"

One townsperson bravely stepped forward.

"P-Please...aren't you being a little hasty...? O-Our taxes aren't due for another two weeks. Please, just...give us a little more time."

The soldier yawned and picked at his teeth.

"Doesn't matter to us, now does it? We've just decided to come a little earlier, so pay up. Don't tell me you're forsaking our generosity for allowing you dirt specks to remain on this ugly piece o' land? All we ask in return is a little compensation. So 'urry up."

"But...But, sir...."

The soldier's visage suddenly turned irritated.

"What? You tellin' me you're backin' out on your deal with the great and powerful Empire? Tsk, tsk....Well, then, I believe a little lesson is in order. Until you learn to cooperate with us nicely, like the livestock you are....we'll just have to make an example out of this pathetic town."

His face suddenly turned to the woman on the ground, and he sneered, looming over her.

"We'll start with you."

He unsheathed his sword and raised it up above his head.

The woman let out a whimper.

"N-No....p-please...."

Marta stood there, shaking, clenching and un-clenching her fists.

_Dammit. I can't stomach any more of this. Gaaah....stupid sense of justice._ She sighed.

_So much for maintaining a low profile._

The soldier swung the blade down, laughing all the while, but stopped as his blade was abruptly halted. Sparks flew in the air from the brushing of metal as the soldier saw what had ended his blade's descent.

Marta glared as her spinner pushed easily against the sword, and she effortlessly stood up from her crouched position, bringing both the spinner and the sword with her, forcing the panicking soldier back several steps. The woman behind her quickly scrambled away to safety.

The soldier quickly attempted to do the same, scampering back to the group of Imperial soldiers, who all wore the same look of shock as him.

"Wh-Who are you??!?"

Marta gritted her teeth.

"Despicable. I can't believe I didn't notice this before. If the Empire had been repeatedly doing things like this....I must've been blind as a bat to not realize this from the start."

The soldier stared at her fearfully and gulped.

"Wh-What is the meaning of this?! This is an act of treason!! Cease, or we shall-"

"Shut up, already. You're so irritating. I'm just mad that I didn't quit the stupid Empire before this."

"I-I mean it!! Drop your weapons, or we'll-"

"You'll what? What do you honestly think you can do? I'm a former Imperial Knight. You buffoons are nothing but footsoldiers."

At this, however, the soldier blinked.

"Former...?"

Suddenly, though he was still shaking, he laughed. Marta frowned.

_What? Has he gone mad?_

"You're...you're that escaped former Knight? Marta? Heh..."

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing...Just that, the entire Empire was in a frenzy regarding you....and if you're here....then that means....that Ratatosk is as well." His face was suddenly twisted with greed.

"And just think...if _we're_ the ones who finally capture the two of you...oh, the glory and riches....I can't even imagine."

"Hmph....stop rambling. Sorry to ruin your plans of 'glory' and all that...but, first of all, you can't even hope to defeat me. And second, if I'm really with Ratatosk, do you think you have even one iota of chance in defeating _him_?

The soldier, however, was still grinning.

"Heh...I realize that, as we are now, we can't begin to compare with a former Knight....but, didn't I tell you? The Empire has made capturing you and Ratatosk a top priority. So, special precautions must be made. _Anyone _among our ranks could coincidentally meet up with either of you, after all. That's why...we have all been given a special tool...that is forbidden to be used unless we meet up with our prioritized targets...."

Marta's stance grew tenser.

"What do you mean....a tool?"

The soldier rummaged around in his pack, and withdrew from its depths a glowing yellow orb.

"This...is an energy containment device. Obviously, it can hold energy. And do you know just what kind of energy is in there right now?"

Marta took one step back.

_What's he getting at...?_

"Heheh....this is the energy....."

His grin became crooked.

...Of a Centurion's Core!!!!"

Marta's eyes widened.

"Wh-What?!?"

And before she could make any move to stop him, the soldier had already slammed the orb into the purple insignia on his chest, shattering it to pieces against his breastplate.

He laughed as, suddenly, his limbs and torso grew at a rapid rate, and his skin became distorted. His entire face became twisted out of proportion, and his eyes became red, vertical slits. He sprouted claws, and his flesh became heavily packed and rubbery. His armor cracked, and crumbled into nothing under the sheer outward pressure of his growth.

The transformed beast stood, immense, several times the size of the soldier that he once was.

"**_Ha ha....wonderful. Absolutely amazing. This power....with this power, nothing can stop me!!"_**

Marta took a defensive stance.

"Crap....this isn't good. He really has gone insane...he's already lost his mind to the Core..."

The beast snarled, flecks of saliva flying from his extended jaw. It craned its elongated neck around and locked its eyes hungrily onto Marta.

Marta drew back one arm, then hurled her spinner at the beast's left shoulder. Whizzing in an arc, it careened over and lodged itself into the monster's flesh.

It did not flinch, but merely glanced over at the disc.

"**_Heh. Doesn't even itch._**"

Marta smiled ruefully.

"It's not supposed to itch."

With that, she inhaled, and mustered up all her strength. She then yanked, hard, on the string connected to the spinner, and the extra force caused it to sink deeper and deeper, until it crudely and painfully sliced all the way through the shoulder joint to the other side.

The beast roared in agony, as unnaturally dark blood sprayed out from the armless socket. The blood continued to spew as the beast clutched the wound with its other arm, causing the blood to instead pour and leak out over its claws in streams, staining them a blackish red.

"**_You BITCH!! You little motherf-"_**

However, it was interrupted as Marta's second spinner zoomed straight for its head and jammed its wide jaws tightly together.

This only served to aggravate it further, and its eyes were glazed over in red from rage as it furiously grabbed the string, and, with a noise like a plunger withdrawing from a toilet, tore the spinner away from its mouth.

It glared angrily at Marta, before suddenly slamming its remaining claw directly down at her.

She gasped, and attempted to jump back, but as it was so large, and covered too wide a range, she could barely manage to avoid getting crushed to a pulp, and was instead blown back violently from the force of the massive appendage crashing to the ground.

She seemed to hover in air for a moment, before hurtling straight into the side of a building.

Rocks and debris rained down on the wreckage as Marta groaned in pain.

"D-Damn...one hit....and I'm reduced to this?"

The beast, leering, reached into the broken gravel and clenched its claws tightly around Marta.

It raised her to eye level, and squeezed.

Marta's eyes snapped wide open, and she clenched her teeth in pain.

"**_Well? It's painful, isn't it? Why don't you scream, eh, girly? You look like you really want to. Go on. Scream in agony as I slowly crush your lungs into nothing._**"

Marta, with one eye closed, winced, but glared defiantly at the beast.

"Why...would I.....hnnh!....scream? My breath would be....agh....wasted...on the likes of you."

The beast's face was twisted even more grotesquely as it growled.

**_"Hmph. So be it. I shall enjoy ripping out your limbs, and watch all the blood slowly leak out of your veins."_**

Marta squeezed her eyes shut.

_No...I can't do anything....I...I'm going to die here? _

_"_Heh...I bet...Emil would laugh at me....getting done in by...such a pathetic thing."

"No shit I would!" a voice yelled out.

Marta re-opened her eyes in surprise, and looked in the direction of the voice. She saw a silhouette against the glaring light of the sun rapidly descending from above, closing in on the beast.

There was a quick flash of a blade, and before Marta knew it, she was tucked into Emil's chest, one of his arms clasped tightly around her, the other holding his bloody gunblade.

He touched down lightly on the ground, and set Marta down as well, leaning her against a wall. A humongous clawed hand plunged to the ground right behind them, blood raining down upon it.

Emil smirked at her.

"Of course I'd laugh. A once Imperial Knight, killed by that deformed creature? Was it a fluke that you were conscripted?"

Marta glared at him.

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you ain't dying yet. You're not flaking out on me that easily."

Marta smiled.

"I know. You'll make sure of that, won't you?"

Suddenly, she flung her arms around him in a hug.

"Thanks...for saving me again, Emil."

Emil's cheeks became tinged with red.

"Uh...s-sure, whatever." He blushed even further, before he lightly pushed her off. He swiveled to face the monster.

"Tch. I'll have all the time in the world to laugh, once I take care of this ugly thing."

The beast was howling in fury, rampaging through the town, until it noticed Emil.

"**_You! There you are!" _**it screeched. "**_My hand!! Give me back my hand!!!"_** it bellowed.

It then opened its jaws, and a ball of yellow light charged within its cavernous depths.

Marta gasped.

"E-Emil! That...that thing's..."

Emil continued to smirk.

He leaped upwards onto a building. The beast aimed towards him, and fired. A long, thick beam of golden light surged towards Emil.

He waited until the last possible second, then effortlessly dodged upwards in a jump. The lengthy cylinder of energy flew harmlessly past.

"One philosophy you should always keep in mind, Marta....is that, whenever you face a big, dumb, hulking lug, like our friend here...." he said as he was propelled through the air, towards the beast.

The beast roared in fury, its slits for eyes following Emil's movements in the air.

".....aim for the head." he finished.

Emil descended upon the beast's massive dome-shaped forehead and sank his blade up to the hilt into its cranium.

It thrashed around wildly in pain, but Emil held firm.

Then, he shifted his grip, and with one hand, carved the blade down the beast's forehead, into the middle of its face. The blade was now lodged horizontally, with Emil holding onto the hilt at the other end, his feet dangling in mid-air.

Emil bent his thumb, and pressed the trigger.

The beast screeched even more noisily as the purple eruption that came from the tip of the blade blasted the innards of its skull.

Emil did not relent. He kept his thumb firmly planted on the trigger, and the resulting continuous blast loosened the gunblade, so that it was able to slide all the way down the face, slicing deeply into the neck, gouging the collarbone, cleaving the chest. Emil then put one foot on the monster's flesh and jerkingly withdrew his blade. The recoil caused Emil to fly through the air, but he aimed his gunblade straight down, and slowed his otherwise painful descent from mid-air by blasting the ground.

He landed with ease.

The beast was frozen in place for a few moments, its innards blown to smithereens. A jagged bloody line, smoking and singed around its edges, was slashed from head to torso.

Then, precariously, the monster teetered and swayed in either direction, before finally toppling to the ground. The dust settled, and it was clear that it breathed no more.

Marta tentatively walked closer to him and the lifeless corpse.

"You...You did it...."

The townspeople slowly and hesitantly crawled out of hiding. They all gathered around one general area, a good distance away from the slain creature, but close enough to observe the aftermath of what had transpired.

And, to Marta's utter disbelief, instead of cries of gratitude or exclamations of relief, the crowd suddenly burst out in angry shouting.

"Hey! Look, it's...I don't believe this....it's Emil!"

"What? That brat? He's back?"

"He's returned to cause even _more_ trouble for us!!"

"Get out of here!! We don't need people like you dirtying up our streets!! We've already been contaminated enough by your presence here before, thank you very much!"

Throughout all of these vehement statements, Emil did not make a single move, and stood, completely still, faced in the other direction.

Marta's brow furrowed at first in complete confusion, but it at once turned to anger as she realized what was being said.

Before she could say anything, however, the citizens immediately silenced, as the crowd parted down the middle to let someone through.

Marta realized that it was the person who before had pleaded with the soldiers for more time.

He spoke.

"I am the town's mayor. Young lady, am I correct in saying that you are traveling with..." he glared in Emil's direction, before seeming to force out his next words. "....with Emil?"

Marta glared.

"And what if I am? What's with this, anyway? Emil just saved every person here from that monster, and you all act as if it was all his fault in the first place! You should be thanking him!"

The townspeople were roused into another bout of shouting.

"Ha!! Thank _him_? He's no better than that monster! Did he even let you know what was inside of him before he strung you along? A Centurion's Core! Just like that monster who had just terrorized us!! And I'll bet they came two weeks earlier just because of you two!! He brings nothing but trouble to our town!!"

Emil then spoke for the first time after killing the beast.

"No. That soldier did not have a Centurion's Core. He only received a fraction of its power. Only the hosts that the Centurions themselves decide upon are able to bear the full weight of the Centurions' energy. And the Empire wouldn't send soldiers of such low hierarchy to hunt me down. The Centurion's power in the energy containment device was only a precaution. They likely came two weeks earlier under the pretense of collecting taxes because they discovered the host of another Centurion's Core in this area."

"Whatever. Like that matters. We're not stupid; we can put two and two together. A monster appears because of one of those god-damned cores, and then _you_ show up after God-knows how many years. Nothing'll change the fact that you aren't welcome here!! Go on, get out, before you cause something _else_ to happen!!"

The rest of them hoarsely shouted out their agreement.

Emil gritted his teeth as his bangs overshadowed his red eyes, but remained quiet.

The mayor raised both hands, and the crowd fell silent once more.

"Young lady...I'm afraid I must ask you to leave." He then reached behind him and seemingly from nowhere withdrew a lumpy sack.

He threw it at Marta's feet.

"You came here for supplies, right? Take it and leave our town."

Marta, however, did not budge, and instead glared at the mayor with such intensity it was a wonder why he did not flinch.

"We're not leaving....until I know what the hell's going on. Why are you so hostile towards Emil? What happened when he was here before?"

The mayor sighed.

"If you must know....this is-_was_, I should say-Emil's hometown. He was born, here, in Luin. Immediately when he was conceived, we knew there was something else....something different....about him. And then came the day...he was probably around eleven years old. That was when the Empire changed, for the worse. And the raids began. They immediately took control of our once-peaceful town, and demanded payment for being allowed to stay here. But what they wanted most of all was the Core. The Centurion's Core that they claimed was somewhere in our town. Well, though we had never heard of such a thing, our thoughts were immediately turned to Emil. They had told us it would reside in a human, and so, we knew from then on that they wanted him. At first, we covered for him, pretending we had no idea what they were asking for.....but the raids got worse and worse. They somehow _knew_ that the Core was still in our town. It got out of hand. They pillaged our town, set fire to buildings, slaughtered....it was unlike anything we had ever experienced. We could not tolerate such treatment any longer, and so we banished him from our midst. We left him to venture out on his own in order to salvage what was left of our town."

He sighed again.

"After that....though they continuously questioned us about the Core...they were forced to concede and realize that the Core was no longer here. The attacks quieted down."

Marta's glare burned more fiercely than ever before.

"So you just....booted him out? Leaving an eleven-year old to fend for himself? And after all this time, you still shun him? How could he have done a single thing about it, anyway?!? Nothing was his fault!"

The mayor shook his head gravely.

"So you would like to believe, young lady....but let's ask him, hm?" He looked towards Emil.

"You didn't enter the town with her, correct? What were you doing during the time she encountered the Imperial soldiers?"

Emil did not respond.

"May I hazard a guess? Were you, as I predict....visiting your parents' graves?"

Marta's eyes widened.

"What...? His parents'...?"

"That's right. Among those who died in the raids, the raids that were because of _him_, were his parents. They were killed mercilessly right in front of him. If there's anyone who can't forgive him for what he's done, it's Emil. He himself knows precisely just how much he was at fault."

His glare directed towards Emil was cold and unrelenting.

"Leave our midst, and never come back. You know you cannot, not after all the lives that were needlessly lost because of y-"

"Shut up!! I...I know, alright?!?" Emil yelled out for the first time.

"I know...I know that everything was because of me. I'll gladly go....I didn't even want to come in the first place." He clenched his fists.

"Like I'd....Like I'd want to stay in the town where my mom and dad died anyway."

He then briskly strode away, leaving everyone in his wake.

Marta swiftly turned her head to his retreating back, then back towards the townspeople. She frowned and bit her lip, before snatching up the sack and hurrying after Emil.

* * *

Neither of them spoke until they were well beyond the outskirts of the town and waist deep in tall, waving grass.

It was Emil who broke the silence.

"I told you we shouldn't have gone." His voice was somber, distant.

Marta tried to muster up a glare, but found that she couldn't. Her expression remained soft.

"Well, maybe, if you just _told _me....I would've realized what going there would be like for you."

Emil did not respond.

Marta lowered her gaze sadly.

"Were you....were you really visiting your parents' graves? If you were....I would've understood."

Emil looked in the direction of a hill.

"Beyond that slope..." he murmured as he pointed his right finger towards the sky above the hill. "That's where they were buried. Along with...along with all the others."

Marta raised her head and stared at the empty space above what was obscured by the mound.

"...It's wasn't your fault." Marta said quietly.

"It's not like you could do anything. It's not something you could change, having a Core placed in you when you were born. And....I'm glad for it. That Core is just a part of you. Something that helps make you who you are. There's nothing wrong with being your own person. The Core, to me, is what makes you Emil. You'd be different without it. Only cowards want to change or hide aspects that make them stand out."

She walked ahead of him and turned to face him.

"None of it was because of you, Emil. If anything, blame those who committed the acts in the first place. You can't listen to people like those that were in Luin. It's their problem....if they have no one else to blame, and make you their scapegoat."

Emil's eyes, which had turned bright green, were slightly wet. He vehemently wiped the moisture onto his loose sleeve.

But when he spoke, his voice was stable, albeit soft.

"It's just....it hurts, at times....to know what happened. And that I couldn't do a single thing about it. Sometimes....knowing you went through that....it's all too overwhelming."

Marta smiled.

"Geez, what am I, chopped liver? That's what I'm for, Emil. I'm your friend, regardless of whether you want me to be. You can always share your burden with me."

She gazed sadly at him.

"It's too hard to do everything alone. You need someone to confide in sometimes."

Emil stared at her as if he had never properly seen her before.

"But...." he started slowly. "But I've always relied on myself.....I've never really had any friends before...."

It seemed a foreign concept to him, as if he was confused to how anyone could actually have other people as companions.

Marta folded her arms and furrowed her brows dramatically in a mock glare, the sack hanging loosely from her right hand.

"Then you'd better learn quickly how to treat one. Because I don't take crap from anybody."

Emil let a weak smile spread across his face.

"No. You really don't. No offense...but you're really strange, Marta."

Marta blinked, then blushed.

"H-Hey! S-So I might act a little..._eccentric_ at times....b-but...."

Emil laughed.

"But I think if it were any other way....I'd probably still be on this journey by myself."

"Hmm..." Marta pondered. "So....we _are_ friends?"

"I thought my opinion didn't matter, and you'd force me to accept you as a friend regardless?" Emil teased, emerald eyes twinkling.

"Well, though that's true....it's always easier when you _do_ consent to it. Less hassle, you know." Marta smiled.

"Then...." Emil hesitated. "...you wouldn't abandon me, would you?"

Marta saw clearly the uncertainty reflected in his eyes.

She rolled her eyes, and rapped her knuckles on his head, causing him to step backwards in surprise.

"Don't you think..." she started slowly. "that after all we've gone through, like the freaking 16 foot _monster_ and guy with a giant _spear_, if I haven't already left you, I sure as hell won't now? I'm sticking through this with you, Emil. All the way. Whatever's your problem becomes my problem. That's what friends are for. You can't get rid of me that easily, you know."

Emil's eyes dimly changed colors in the orange lighting cast from the setting sun.

"Oh yes," he growled. "I'd have to be an idiot...."

Out of nowhere, he swiftly plucked the sack out of Marta's unsuspecting grip, and hitched it on his own back.

"...to not have already discovered that you're stubborn as holy hell."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Once again, pleeease forgive me for my unexcusable lack of updates for such a long time. I really AM sorry. But hey, winter break's comin' up soon, I'll be sure to whip some updates outta nowhere, just for you guys. I think the chapter came out alright; at least it's long. And at least more light has been shed on Emil's past. But don't think that's it. Ohhh no. That boy's got a LOT more goin' on than that. And yes, the story's moving kind of slow, but I really felt this chapter is necessary. The search for the Cores will be back full blast next chapter. Can't say any more, but please review! It'd definitely help. :)

Random quotation of the day:

"The world would be a lot simpler if people could choose their obligations and duties. But it doesn't work like that. And it shouldn't. That's why I'm staying."

Though I can't remember exactly, it was definitely something along those lines. This was from the movie: The Lost Battalion. I saw it recently in U.S. history. Let me tell you, it was THE best movie I've ever seen during school. I'm serious, it's SO epic, and awesome, and, well....if you haven't already seen it, I HIGHLY suggest doing so. You will not be disappointed. Unless you REALLY hate blood and gore and stuff. Then...well, it's your loss. :)


	5. Catalyst

**Author's note: **Alright, new chapter! Wow, this one came out before the new Feral Souls chapter. Hm. Well, anyway, not as long a wait this time, at least....well, I'm still a failure at being punctual. Sigh........Anyway, pretty lengthy this time, and quite a bit of stuff happens. Though, I dunno....I feel as if I didn't do that good of job on this one, at least compared to some past chapters. Eh, oh well. As always, you readers will be the judge of that. So, read and review, please! Comments are always helpful. :)

**Disclaimer:** Me: Alright, Tene-bonehead, you say it.

Tenebrae: How rude. I am the great Centurion of Darkness, a loyal and faithful servant of Lord Ratato-

Me: You serve a guy with a multiple personality complex who wears some kind of purple dress. Say the disclaimer.

Tenebrae: I'll have you know that those clothes indicate great-

Me: Say the damn disclaimer.

Tenebrae: ...JimmyDANj2 does not own me, or anything affiliated with Tales of Symphonia. They all belong to Namco.

Me: See? That wasn't so hard. Enjoy, everyone!

* * *

"So...." Marta pondered aloud. "Where to next?"

Emil shrugged.

"I'm not exactly sure. But...we're definitely not wandering too far from here. The fact that Imperial soldiers came at this unprecedented time....means that there's definitely a Centurion's Core in the area. This could very well be the same one I was tracking earlier in Palmacosta....or it could be a second one. Though it seems unlikely that two cores would coincidentally be so near each other."

Marta halted in the tall grass, and frowned.

"But....isn't that a bit too vague? I mean....if all we've got is its general area....how will we know who or exactly what to look for?"

Emil stopped as well.

"Oh, we'll know. When the time is right, the core will make itself known."

"Huh? What does that mean...?"

Emil opened his mouth to respond, but no sooner than he had, his head suddenly snapped up in attention, and he glanced intently in the other direction, from where they had come from.

"Well...it looks like you won't have to wait long to find out, Marta." His emerald eyes were furrowed in concern.

Marta arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you-"

"Ssh!" Emil put a finger to his lips. "Can't you feel it? That disturbance in the atmosphere's mana....that sudden spike...."

Marta pursed her lips, then furrowed her brows in concentration.

"Umm....wait....yeah, I think I can sense it....it's...it's in the direction of..."

Emil nodded grimly.

"Yes. It's coming from Luin's graveyard."

* * *

The little girl panted as she hastily stepped over the stray gravel and mud and raced up the hill.

"Stop! Under creed of the Empire, you are ordered to stop your futile attempt to escape!"

The girl's breaths were short and rapid and her golden locks of hair were strewn over her sweaty face, lone strands sticking to beads of perspiration.

"Ouch!" She winced as she scraped her arm on a jagged rock.

"Halt! Cease, and desist!", came the hoarse command of the Imperial soldier, who was only one of several chasing after the girl, their armor clanking and their spears and rapiers getting dragged along the slant of the hill.

The girl quickly heaved herself up and trudged over the last round of the hill.

Her eyes widened for a moment, as she suddenly observed numerous tombstones and stone slabs littering the ground, several rusting with age, and some so decrepit that they had crumbled halfway into the soil.

However, the girl did not have any time to ponder where she had stumbled upon, for she heard the rough voices behind her getting closer by the minute.

She once again broke into a sprint, feet sinking slightly into the loose gravel every time she stepped onto the ground.

As she looked back to see whether or not her pursuers had caught up, however, she did not notice the stray gravestone strewn horizontally in her direct path.

Her feet were tripped from under her, and she yelped as her body landed on the hard, rubble-strewn ground.

The soldiers finally reached her, and began to close in on her trembling form.

"Heh. You're a naughty little scamp, aren't you? Giving us the slip for all that time, and at only eight years of age!! Hmph, rather humiliating on our end, isn't it? Now, be a good little girl and come with us. If you cooperate, we promise not to harm even one hair on that pretty little head..."

The girl's mouth quivered.

"N-No....please, don't....I don't want to..."

"That's hardly your choice, now is it? Now, hurry, girl, or we'll have to take you by force."

Another of the soldiers cautiously whispered, "Careful, boss, this is a host of a Centurion's Core. We're not sure what could happen if she's provoked."

He snorted.

"Pff, don't make me laugh. As if some eight-year-old kid can do anything to us. She's nothing more than a monster, anyway."

"Funny," a new voice broke in. "From _my_ vantage point, it looks as if the monsters are elsewhere."

The soldiers swiveled in alarm to the right of them, where they had heard the voice. Only to find a gunblade pointed directly in their faces.

Emil's red eyes narrowed in contempt.

"Get lost, Imperial scum."

He fired from his blade a massive ball of energy, its diameter such that it easily overtook and encompassed every single soldier. They were blown back, and they groaned as they landed on the hard earth.

They hastily scrambled up, and after glancing fearfully back at Emil, turned tail and ran.

"We'll remember this!!" One yelled as they scampered away.

"Weak cowards," Emil muttered. "I barely put anything in that blast."

Marta smiled.

"Well, aren't you just a big softie. Before, you seemed the kind of person- at least, the Ratatosk version of you-who would've killed them without a second thought."

"H-Hmph! I'm not soft! You being wishy-washy all the time is just rubbing off on me."

The little girl squirmed and backed away, eyeing the two warily.

"Wh-Who are you?? Wh-Why did you save me?"

"Well, even if we didn't already have a reason, how could we just leave a little girl in distress like that?" Marta said.

The girl did not relent in her caution.

"D-Don't...don't try to trick me....you're just here 'cuz of my core, right? Just because I have the Centurion's Core in my body...."

Marta blinked, slightly startled at the alarmed tone of the girl. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"W-Well, that IS why we came, because of the core...but we only wanted to save you!"

The girl, however, did not seem register anything after the word "core", and stammered out with vigor, "I-I knew it! It's-It's never 'cuz of anything else....th-they all just want me because of my c-core!!"

And before Emil or Marta knew it, the girl stood up and hastily ran in the other direction.

"W-Wait!" Marta exclaimed.

Emil made a noise of frustration and ran after her.

He clenched his teeth and propelled himself into the air.

The girl looked back to glance if they were following or not, but gasped when she looked forward again and saw Emil land right in front of her.

"Eep!"

"Now, can you just sit still and _listen _to us for a minute? And don't think I don't understand your situation. I'm the host of a core, too, y'know."

Marta caught up a few moments later, slightly out of breath.

"Phew....I think 'Centurion's Core' is just another term for 'having consumed a ridiculous amount of sugar'. You two act like you could run five marathons and still not be tired in the slightest."

The girl glared at them both, albeit with apprehension in her gaze.

"S-Stop...I don't want to go to the Empire..."

Marta shook her head and smiled.

"Don't worry....I promise that we're not here to harm you in any way whatsoever. We really only want to help." Her voice was soft.

The girl slowly looked up at Marta, and her trembling abated slightly.

"You're....not gonna force me to...?"

Marta shook her head once more.

"Alright, first....let's start off by introducing ourselves. What's your name?" She asked kindly.

The girl bowed her head slightly.

"Um..." She turned a little to her left.

"S-Selena. My name is....Selena."

"Selena, hm?" Marta grinned. "That's such a pretty name. You can call me Marta. And that hard-head over there's Emil." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

Selena still glanced warily over Marta's shoulder.

"Y-You really aren't going to....hurt me? C-Cuz, h-he seems kinda scary...his eyes are all red...."

Emil twitched slightly. His smile seemed a bit more forced than before.

Marta giggled.

"Don't worry. Underneath all that rough and gruff is nothing but a big softie."

"I told you, I'm not soft! Tch, whatever." Emil turned in the other direction and huffed, irritated.

Selena seemed slightly more reassured.

"W-Well, i-if you two aren't going to take me to the Empire....w-why did you come look for me?"

Marta exhaled, then explained.

"We want you...to come with us on our journey. We need to gather all the hosts of the Centurions' Cores....and then have Emil, who's the host of Ratatosk, to absorb all the cores and then release them from his body, which will restore the balance of mana in the world, and keep nature in order. We're not doing this for self-gain, Selena. Might sound a bit cliche, but we need to gather those cores to save the world."

Selena's eyes widened.

"Emil-san....is Ratatosk?"

Emil shifted uncomfortably.

_Emil...."san"?_

"So, will you come with us, Selena? We promise, that as long as we are alive, nothing will happen to you. O-Of course, only if it's okay with your parents...."

Selena, for the first time, had a frown on her face.

"No. I...mommy and daddy aren't here anymore. Neither is my big sis. And it's all because of this core. I-I really hate it. I really hate having it in my body. Ever since...ever since it appeared....everything's been horrible." She sniffed.

"I...once we're done, this core'll be gone from me, right? It'll disappear? Then I'll go with you. I'll do anything to have it removed...." Tears appeared in her shimmering brown eyes.

"I-I'm all alone now....just because I have this core...."

Marta bit her lip.

_Those cores...because of their existence, anyone related to them will meet similar fates. This girl....she's so young....but she's....She's been through so much....so much that a child her age shouldn't ever have to go through. She acts so mature for her age....but at the same time, she's seems so sad. Emil....Selena...are the hosts of Centurions' Cores....destined to always be by themselves...?_

Selena's watery eyes widened, however, when Marta abruptly bent down and hugged her.

"Don't worry, Selena..." She uttered softly. "Everything's okay now. You'll never be alone from this point on. Ever. Not if we have anything to say about it."

Selena sniffled. She hesitantly wrapped her own tiny arms around Marta as well.

Marta then asked, "Selena, if I may...which core do you have within you?"

Selena pulled away and gazed up at her.

"...Aqua. Centurion Aqua."

Emil smirked.

_Well, I can't tell from how she acts. Aqua....somehow, though I dunno how....I've always remembered her to be a spoiled, childish princess._

Emil seemed about to say something, but was interrupted.

"Well, well, well...." a familiar voice said. "At first, I was irritated that you gnats managed to escape....but think how joyous I become, when there are now _three_ delicious prey to capture...."

Emil swiveled and glared angrily at the speaker.

"This is much too considerate of you, Ratatosk....to lead me right to my next target."

"_Magnar...."_ Emil seethed.

Marta abruptly unsheathed her spinners and crouched into a defensive position.

"O-Oh no....Emil, we have to run!'

Magnar sneered.

"I don't think so. We don't want a repeat of last time, do we? Otherwise, Lady Alice will have my head....sorry, but you can't run anywhere. We're not idiots, we've already got you completely and utterly surrounded."

Emil turned his head to the left and right.

_Crap....he's right. I can sense them all. Hiding in the shrubbery, ready to attack at any moment's notice. Shit, how could I be so blind?!? They sneaked in right under our noses!_

"W-We can't run?" Marta exclaimed fearfully.

Emil growled.

"Nothing for it but to fight!!" he roared.

He then grasped his right arm, which was holding his gunblade, with his left, and closed one eye as he tensed what seemed like every muscle in his body.

"_**Lucifer's Gospel!!"** _He snarled, as he slammed the trigger.

A gargantuan, compact sphere of crimson red erupted from the end of his blade.

It seemed to swallow up the very air as he speeded toward Magnar and his cronies.

The giant of a man widened his eyes. A bead of sweat leaked its way from his hairline to his clavicle.

_Heheh....THAT...I most certainly cannot attempt to block._

He quickly leaped to the right, letting it instead engulf the four soldiers directly behind them. They were instantaneously incinerated.

Emil panted, seemingly drained.

"Damn....I missed."

Magnar leaped overhead, raising his large spear over and behind his head.

"Not too shabby an attack, boy! But you're still too naive if you think something is big and obvious as that will hit anyone with half a brain!"

Emil jumped up to intercept him. He smirked.

"Good! You can see through my logic."

Magnar grinded his teeth together in anger.

"Why you little-"

Their blades met each other in mid-air, each respective owner straining to overtake the other.

Magnar reeled back suddenly, dodging Emil's weapon, and swung his own towards him.

Emil shot a blast off to the left, causing him to change direction in mid-air and fly towards the right.

Magnar growled.

"You can't escape me, boy!"

His massive armored foot clanked noisily as it was planted on the base of a tree. He then pushed off and zoomed directly towards Emil.

Emil grinned.

"You're even stupider than I thought. Flying right towards the barrel of a gun."

He shot off another bullet, this one adhering to a path directly in front of him.

Magnar's eyes widened as he flew straight towards the compact purple mass.

"Ummph!" He was barreled along the ground as gravity took its course and the blast enveloped him.

Emil continued to smirk as he saw Magnar's suddenly alarmed visage.

"Heh! Not so high and mighty now, are we?"

However, Emil frowned as he saw Magnar look right past him, completely disregarding that Emil was even there.

"NO! You fools! Our orders are to bring the host back ALIVE!!"

Emil froze, and then, turning around so fast that his face seemed blurred, he witnessed a soldier hiding in the brush, right behind a wide-eyed Selena, charging up an energy cannon. The soldier did not seem to hear Magnar.

Marta, who had been busy fighting off several other soldiers, suddenly swiveled around as well.

"SELENA!!"

This caused Selena to face the other direction as well. She stared, rigid, at the circular opening of the cannon, white light charging within its vacant depths.

Emil wasted no time in blasting the air behind him and then letting go of his gunblade altogether. He was propelled forward, after which he sprinted forward at an inhuman velocity. His blood pounded viciously against his temple as he strained his muscles to the limit.

The soldier fired.

Emil stepped in between Selena and the soldier, before turning his back on the massive beam of energy and flinging his arms around Selena's small form, shielding her completely from the blast.

Marta yelled something, but it was drowned out, as everything else was, by the force of the glaring explosion that occurred.

Smoke unfurled against the sky, and the rubble cleared to reveal Emil still bent over Selena. His back had blood smeared all over it, and his skin was raw and charred. There was a hole in his clothing where the blast had clearly burned through.

As he hoarsely breathed, he managed a shaky smile, and asked Selena, "A.....Are you......okay?"

Selena's brown eyes stared up at Emil's own viridian depths.

"Emil.....san....?"

Then, she realized what had just happened.

"E-Emil...Emil-san!!! No! N-No, why did you....why did you save me!?!? Why would go you out of your way to..."

Emil continued smiling.

"I see...a little of myself in you, you know. Alone....always alone. But, once I met Marta....ever since then, I've felt that I've had more and more to live for. And I know now....that you always need friends....comrades....to rely on. We promised, didn't we, Selena? That as long as we are still breathing, we'll always protect you. Because....you're our friend....."

He lurched onto the ground and spat out blood.

"Emil-san....no, please...."

Magnar suddenly rushed over, and yelled, "You useless piece of trash!! Didn't I clearly say to NOT KILL EITHER OF THEM?!?! Look what almost happened because of YOUR stupidity!!"

The soldier cowered in fear.

"S-Sorry, C-Captain Magnar, I didn't realize-"

"Tch! Well, anyway, I suppose it turned out alright." He grinned.

"Because now, we have Ratatosk reduced down to practically nothing, and these two are....as good as....ours...." He trailed off as he noticed Selena trembling once more. This time, however, as he realized, the trembling was because of an entirely different reason.

"Again....again, someone I care about is hurt. Because of me. Because of me, Emil-san is...." She clenched her small fists.

"No more. No more will I let anyone close to me get hurt. I....I won't let you hurt Emil-san ANYMORE!!!" Her last word came out in a scream, as suddenly, her pupils shrunk into nothing, and her eyes were overcome with a blinding white. Her blonde hair elongated as it spread outwards and floated in the air. She herself levitated as well, her feet scraping the ground as she was lifted into the air.

Marta stared, entranced, as the ground beneath her shook and rumbled.

_Wait....is that a....rushing sound?_

Then the surface of the earth broke as geysers erupted from the ground. The gigantic jets of water pulsed for a moment, before they all converged upon Selena.

Magnar, panicking, hastily shouted out commands.

"Q-Quick! Hurry and subdue her!"

The soldiers moved towards her, but Marta rushed over and blocked their path.

She was startled, however, as a voice from behind spoke to her.

"**It's okay, Marta-san....Everything is okay, now....I promise, just as you two had promised to protect me, that I will not allow any harm to come to either of you.**"

Magnar stared fearfully at Selena, who had shaped the water around her so that, encased in the liquid, she looked almost entirely different. Her legs became surrounded by water that was then molded into what was unmistakably a mermaid's tail.

"You...monster!" he growled in contempt.

Selena spared him one annoyed glance.

"**I am Aqua. Not 'monster'.**"

She narrowed her pure, white eyes. A tiny smile was playing on her lips.

"**If you really want to see what facing a monster is like.....well, I'll be much obliged.**"

She closed her eyes, frowning in concentration. She snapped them open moments later and let out a battle cry.

Rows upon rows of icicles materialized, their jagged ends pointed menacingly at Magnar and his soldiers.

Before they had time to react, the daggers of ice shot themselves forward.

Magnar grunted as an icicle impacted the the flat of his spear.

All around him, soldiers were run through, skewered, and impaled with the relentless assault of the deadly cones of ice.

Magnar glowered at Selena in disgruntlement.

"Rrrrg...alright, retreat! We can't fight a host with a fully awakened core head-on. All soldiers, fall back!"

The Imperial soldiers were only too happy to comply, and several stumbled as they followed Magnar with utmost haste.

Selena continued to glare at their retreating backs until they were well over the round of the hill.

Then, she exhaled deeply, and she reverted back to normal, the water all around her dissipating into the atmosphere. Her eyes shifted back to their regular mahogany.

Her legs wobbled when she first touched down to the ground, but Marta quickly moved to her side and helped steady her.

Selena looked over to Emil, whose back was currently leaned against a tree.

His red eyes, though clouded over with pain, stared straight towards her.

He smirked.

"Being a host isn't so bad, eh Selena? You don't have to waste time arguing; just kick their ass and be done with it."

Selena's eyes watered, and she sniffed.

Marta hurried over to Emil's side and helped him up. With Marta supporting him, Emil made his way over to Selena.

"I-I'm so sorry, Emil-san....I...because of me, you got hurt..."

"Alright, if you're gonna start blaming yourself, I really will get mad. It's not your fault that anyone associated with the Empire is an asshole. What matters is what you do to fight back. And I'd say, that regarding what just happened, you've rounded this up nicely."

Selena wailed, and, unable to hold back her torrent of tears, hugged Emil around the waist and rubbed her eyes in the fabric of his shirt.

Emil, after the initial surprise, smiled, and put his right hand on top of Selena's head.

It was with a serene composure that he looked over to his left, and gazed as he had never gazed before at the two graves lying side by side near the center of the hill.

_Mother....Father....I hope that, with your blessing....I can achieve my worth, the worth that I had lost before, with every fiber of my being. Because I'm not alone anymore. Because this time, if I falter...._

He clenched his fist, nails biting into his skin.

_It won't just be me suffering the consequences._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yaaaaay! A Core! Yaaaaay! New character! Sorry, but I just had to base someone off of one of Yabuki Kentaro's (THE greatest mangaka ever. At least I think so. He friggin did Black Cat and To-Love-Ru) characters: Celine (hence where I got the name Selena). She was a girl who hatched from a plant in To-Love-ru. Like all of Kentaro's work, she is awesome. Well, in any case, I hope you liked the chapter. Any feedback or advice, feel free to go wild with it. Hopefully, this update coming much earlier than the last is an indication that I'll break my streak of tardiness. 'Till next time!

Random quotation of the day:

*Bushes rustling* "You have five seconds to show yourself before I start throwing sharp things at you. One....two.....four...."


	6. Tranquil Havoc

**Author's Note: **...Is it a miracle? Have I come back from the grave? Is it...is it possibly...a _new chapter?_ Gasp. Okay, so, this is the first new chapter in...a _while_. Yeah, I know, and I am very sorry. The truth is that I have been completely cut off from the world of fanfiction for the past few _months_. Let me just say that I wasn't lying when I said that junior year is a pain in the ass. Work, work, work and more work. I mean, really, I haven't had much time to do anything that's not school-related. But, oh, sweet merciful God, it's SUMMER! The time when I can finally relax a bit. Though, I'm extremely busy in the summer as well...what with like seven different summer programs and stuff like that. Sigh. Oh well, don't worry, cuz it definitely won't be _nearly_ as bad as school was. I should be able to crank out tons of new chapters in this two to three month time period! Hopefully! :)

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, you'd be darned sure that the next new mothership title, Tales of Graces, which I have been anticipating FOREVER now, (it's so, completely, magnificently, ground-breakingly, bone-bendingly, incredibly awesome) wouldn't be released in EUROPE first! No, I'm being completely serious. Tales of Graces is being released in EUROPE first. After all that wait and anticipation, I'm not even sure it's COMING to America! *sob* Why, Namco, whyyy?

* * *

"Gah! Careful, idiot!" Emil hissed, as Marta attempted to shift him into a more comfortable position against the base of the tree.

"Maybe it wouldn't hurt as much if you'd stop squirming!" Marta retorted. Finally, she managed to gingerly lean him against the trunk, Emil wincing as his raw and charred back was placed against the brittle wood.

"...So, what should we do now? This is kind of a bad situation, isn't it?" Marta contemplated. "I mean, they know where we are right now, so they're bound to come soon with reinforcements. And Emil is in no condition to go anywhere..." She glanced worriedly at him and bit her lip.

Selena's brown eyes widened, and, perched at Emil's left side, started to whimper.

"B-But we can't just wait here! The E-Empire will come and..." She trailed off.

Emil pondered this, his red eyes furrowed in concentration.

"Selena...tell me, were you anywhere near Palmacosta recently?"

Selena looked at him, surprised. She slowly shook her head.

"N-No...In the past few days, all I've been doing is running from them..."

"Hmph. As I thought. Then the presence of a core I felt when we were over there wasn't yours. Strange as it is for two cores to be coincidentally this close...I suppose that we'll just have to count ourselves lucky this time."

Emil winced as he shifted against the trunk.

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow.

"Selena...I've just thought of something. You...mentioned that you had an older sister?"

Selena visibly reacted, before nervously nodding.

"Y-Yeah...my sister's name was Mikana."

"Then, clarify something for me. You _aren't_ the original host of Aqua...are you?"

This time, Selena actually let out a yelp.

"U-Ummm...um...I..." She sighed. "No...no, th-the original host was...M-Mikana."

Marta gasped, her blue eyes widening, before rapidly shifting her gaze from Emil to Selena and back.

"S-So...?"

Emil answered Marta's dangling question grimly.

"Yeah. I was wondering for myself how a host could be this young. All the cores should've found hosts exactly 16 years ago, all in the same year. Selena being eight years old can only mean that her sister transferred over the core when she died. Because Centurion's cores can't disappear. Once the host perishes, they simply search for a new one."

Selena nodded, tears threatening to spill over.

"I...It actually happened recently. It hasn't even been a couple months since this core was in me. They-they found us, in our village, and...and, they knew it was there, they could track it and everything. Bu-But they got carried away trying to find the right person...and before they knew it, they had accidentally killed her, along with our parents. The l-last thing big sis told me before...before it happened, was that I had to get away no matter what. She pushed me through the back door before they barged in, so that I could get away...I felt something weird in my chest, and then the core spoke to me. I didn't even realize it was inside me 'til I was running."

Her voice broke off in a sob, as the tears finally descended onto the ground.

Marta quickly reached out and enveloped her in a hug.

"This is...just...despicable," Marta seethed. "How could...how could the Empire just nonchalantly _do_ things like this? Hosts or not, both of you are human beings..."

Emil grunted.

"Better get used to it. They've always been like this. Ever since two years ago..."

Emil seemed to lose himself in his recollections for a moment, before he drew himself up to the greatest of his ability, shifting more as he leaned against the base of the tree, and fixed Marta and Selena with a resolute stare.

"Alright. I've decided. We're heading back into the forest, back towards Palmacosta."

Startled, Marta turned her head back to look at him.

"A-Are you kidding me? Why? I know you're reckless, but you're in absolutely _no_ condition to go back _there_! You can barely stand, and that place is probably crawling with guards and being searched and investigated after what happened!"

"I know. But I also know that I was there before for a reason. I felt a core in that area. And what Selena just said cinches it for us. Unlikely as it may be, a core was in or near Palmacosta; at least, it was a few days ago."

Marta's eyes dimmed as they lowered towards the ground.

"E-Even so..."

"Not only that," Emil continued. "...but, right now, it's our only course of action. We don't have long before Magnar returns, and I can safely say he'll be prepared this time around. We can't stay in this clearing. At least going in the forest, towards Palmacosta, will make it less likely that they'll find us. I don't think they'd expect us to return there anyway."

Marta sighed.

"I-I guess you're right...but, it's just that...I feel so cornered."

Emil grimaced as he placed his palms flat on the ground and painfully heaved himself up to a slouching position.

"You'd better get used to that feeling. It's the Empire we're dealing with after all."

Marta hurried over to his side, as Selena attempted to use her tiny frame to help support him as well.

The trio entered the dense perimeter of shrubbery, causing darkness to fall upon them as the sun was blotted out by the thick canopy above.

Emil grimaced as he walked.

_I suppose I can't blame Marta for being paranoid. I HAVE been rather reckless as of late. These damn injuries...if not for them, I'd..._

He sighed.

Hours passed, before Marta declared that they were taking a break.

Before Emil could offer any sort of complaint, she lashed out viciously.

"...and **__****_NO OBJECTIONS._** We're resting here, and that's final."

Emil, whose eyes now mimicked the shades of the leafy canopy above, laughed weakly.

_I guess she knows me too well already. And I know her well enough at this point to not argue._

Selena, who looked upon this scene blankly, let a wistful smile spread across her visage.

"Hm? Is...something the matter, Selena?" Emil inquired.

Selena blinked, before stuttering, "O-Oh no, Emil-san. N-Nothing much, really. Just that...well, sitting here in the forest, together like this...reminded me of the time I spent with my family, b-before..."

Marta's eyes softened to a smooth blue hue.

"Don't worry, Selena. You'll...never have to worry about that sort of thing again. We'll take good care of you, Emil and I, in place of your parents and sister who can't. We won't let them lay a finger on you."

Selena smiled - a genuine, uplifting smile - before replying, "I know. I'm glad...that, of all the people who I could've ran into, it was you two."

Emil, who also wore a smile, suddenly gasped, before his eyes once again burned themselves into twin spheres of blood.

"Marta! Selena! They've found us! Those auras I sense - they can only belong to Imperial scum! And they're approaching our location fast!"

"Wha-What? Th-but, how? How could they have tracked us so fast?"

"I don't know," Emil growled. "but we're not gonna stay to find out. Hurry!"

Marta nodded, before moving towards Emil.

He shrugged off her touch, however, and said, "Don't mind me! I can move myself fine, by now. Just run, as fast as you can!"

"B-But...well, if you say so..."

Emil pushed Selena towards Marta.

"Hurry! I'll be right behind you, I swear!"

Marta nodded, before taking Selena's hand and sprinting away from their previous area of refuge, Emil trailing closely behind.

Emil wore an expression of distress as he ran after the two.

_I don't understand! Even if Magnar called for reinforcements immediately after he retreated, they can't have caught up so quickly! Crap, they're approaching way too fast!_

Just as he finished his thought, his eyes widened as he skidded to a halt. For a split second, lines of shadow were cast over his head, dispersed by what sparse moonlight could find its way through the thick canopy above. Then, the ground shook as something descended with great force, right in front of Emil. Trees to the immediate left and right were splintered carelessly, and the earth cracked in the areas of greatest impact.

The smoke started to clear, and Emil glared at the shadowy outlines that were being gradually revealed.

On the other side of the area of collision, Marta and Selena stopped running as well, and turned around to survey the wreckage.

"Oh, I am ever so joyous to _finally_ be able to meet little Mart-Mart again!" a voice cheerily chirped.

Marta's dainty pink lips parted slowly in horror.

"Oh, no. Oh, no no no. Not..." She winced as she heard a delighted giggle.

"Not _Alice_."

The owner of the voice was a short, white-blonde haired girl dressed almost completely in white. She casually bended the toy rapier in her hands while sitting atop a massive four-legged beast with curved, jagged fangs, and an elongated tail. Next to Alice stood a tall, smirking man propping himself up with a colossal, grandiose broadsword that was as large as himself.

Emil stared warily at the pair in front of him.

_A...A little girl? No, it seems Marta knows her, so they're...Imperial Knights?_

Marta quickly turned to Selena.

"Selena, I want you to stay over here. No matter what, don't come over, okay?"

"Wh-What? B-But, Marta-san, I-"

"No buts. Stay here, alright?"

"O-Okay, but-"

"Good girl." Marta smiled at her briefly, before unhooking her spinners and running over to Emil.

"E-Emil!"

Alice sneered, and lightly whipped the monster she sat on. It snarled, before jumping and landing directly in front of Marta, intercepting her.

Marta pursed her lips in irritation.

"Ah-ah-ah, Mart-Mart! Haven't you missed me? We haven't seen each other in a dog's age! I wanna be sure that we can have some quality time to...catch up, just the two of us. You'll understand if I don't let your little friend Ratty interfere, right?" She suddenly turned around to address her partner.

"Decus! Entertain Ratty for me, won't you?"

Decus raised a hand to flick a strand of purple hair behind his ear. He curled his lips into a grin.

"As you wish, my darling Alice."

He effortlessly heaved his colossal broadsword up to shoulder level, grasping it with both hands, before charging towards Emil, his body taking on a red outline.

Emil glowered at Decus, before unsheathing his gunblade, and planting a foot to steady himself.

_Shit! He's...fast. And I can barely move with these injuries, let alone fight. This guy seems to be using that same energy Magnar used. Damn, this isn't looking good._

Their blades clashed, as Emil was barely able to keep himself standing. His grip wobbled as his feet was dragged along the dirt.

"Agh-!"

Decus smiled at him.

"Heh. All bark and no bite, eh? What happened to that power of yours, Ratatosk?"

Emil strained his muscles, and struggled to keep a decent foothold against the earth.

"Keh-! At-At least...rrg...it's my _own_ power...which is...more than I can say for you bastards!"

Decus' complacent smirk remained on his face.

"Whatever it takes to win, Ratatosk. It's how the world works. Only power will win out in the end, you should know that better than anyone."

Decus smashed his blade across in a diagonal motion, causing Emil to stagger backwards amid the shower of sparks. Decus then drew a foot back, and thrust it directly into Emil's chest.

"Oof!"

He was thrown back against the ground, coughing up blood.

Across the forest floor, Marta caught a glimpse of Emil's descent, and cried, "Emil!"

"Ah-ah-ah! You should worry more about yourself, Mart-Mart!" Alice said, before her beast pounced at Marta.

Marta turned her head back towards her own battle, raising both spinners just in time to block the deadly pair of claws that had descended upon her.

She threw her arms out in a circle, forcing the beast to back away.

_I..I have to help Emil! He's in no shape to fight! But...with Alice here blocking me..._

Decus slowly approached Emil, who hastily sprang up, blade at the ready.

"Heh. Tenacious, at least." Decus then let loose a flurry of massive swipes, belying the stature of his sword, as they were as quick and rapid as if delivered by a dagger.

Emil grunted as he clumsily swept aside the blows with his own blade, letting several slashes through, which sliced and nicked his already battered body.

Decus unleashed one final horizontal sweep, knocking Emil's blade out of his hands.

"Rg!" Emil staggered back once more, rubbing his wrist.

Decus ran forward and clamped his hand tightly around Emil's throat, his palm constraining Emil's jugular.

"Kh! Gah!" Emil choked out feebly.

"Emil!" Marta yelled, momentarily distracted. She reared back to hurl a spinner towards Decus.

"Not so fast, Marty-poo!"

"Ngh!" Marta was forced to leap out of harm's way as the humongous beast collided with the spot she had just vacated.

_No! Emil!_

"Hmph, I'm supposed to bring you back alive, but I am so tempted to simply snuff out the air in your lungs right now."

Emil desperately clawed at Decus' unrelenting grip.

Decus suddenly frowned, before gasping as he swiveled to his left.

"What-?"

He hastily let go of Emil, before holding his broadsword in front of him protectively.

Half the blade of a katana came spurting through the underbrush straight towards him.

It struck the flat area of Decus' blade, before getting deflected sideways and falling to the ground.

Bewildered, Marta glanced at the spot the blade must have come from.

_S-Someone is helping us?_

A string connected to the half-blade of the katana glinted in the narrow moonlight, before retracting and dragging the portion of metal back into the darkness from whence it came.

A figure walked slowly out and towards them.

Shadow gradually left its outline as light crept onto its form.

A teenage boy stood there, expression stoic, features hardened, with his right eye covered by a silver eye-patch, and his other eye glowing a grayish-blue. A black cloak hung loosely over his shoulders, as his hand loosely gripped the handle of a whole katana.

Decus glared warily at the newcomer, before asking, "Who the hell are you? Are you with Ratatosk as well?"

The boy remained silent for a few moments, before replying.

"That is neither here nor there."

Without another word, the boy dashed towards Decus, his feet not seeming to touch the ground as his outline became blurred.

A bead of sweat dripped from Decus' forehead.

"Tch!"

The boy delivered a vicious swipe, which Decus barely managed to halt in time to avoid getting impaled on the katana's razor-sharp edge.

_He's...fast. Unbelievably so._

Decus quickly backed away, and held his blade in front of him in a defensive stance.

"I don't know who you are, but I do know that you have a death wish. Attacking me is nothing short of assisted suicide!" Decus roared as he charged at the boy.

The boy nonchalantly glanced at Decus, before holding out his katana directly in front of him, pointing it at Decus.

He then squeezed the hilt.

Half the katana suddenly severed its link with the other half, and blasted towards Decus, whose eyes widened. He gritted his teeth as he thrust one foot against the ground and dodged sideways, the blade of the katana slashing a mark in the crook of his elbow.

The half-blade was connected to the half with the hilt by a thin, wispy string. The tip of the katana did not stop in its trajectory until it embedded itself into the base of a tree.

The boy calmly swept his arm to the right, which caused the entirety of the katana, string, hilt, and blade, to curve to the right as well. Decus saw the half-blade swinging towards him and blocked it with his blade.

The boy, unblinking, simultaneously squeezed his katana's hilt twice while tugging the string diagonally downwards.

The half-blade, on the other end, divided itself in half twice more, so that what encircled Decus as a result of the boy's yanking motion were nothing more than three jagged shards of metal.

"Gah!" Decus yelled as the string connecting the three metal edges wrapped itself tightly around his form so that the metal shards dug themselves into his skin.

The boy held tightly to the hilt, before his eye not covered by the eyepatch glowed brightly, and he himself started emitting a crackling aura.

Blue lightning manifested from the aura, and lanced itself in and out of the boy's body. Around him were crackling masses of electricity.

Arcs of lightning spread to his hand that gripped the katana, and made their way all the way along the string to the other side, where Decus stood, ensnared.

The lightning reached him, and pervaded his body.

"Gaaaaargh!" He screamed as he was wholly enveloped by the lightning. It flashed and pulsed around him, causing him to shudder in burning agony.

As quick as it had come, the lightning dispersed, and the boy tugged back the three shards, away from Decus, to reunite and combine with the rest of the katana.

All that was left was Decus' smoking and singed form hunched over in pain. He stood there for a few moments, before collapsing to the ground.

"Decus!"

Alice, on top of her animal, rushed over.

She glared at the boy.

"Wh-Who _are_ you? For Decus to be defeated like this...you aren't just anybody."

The boy did not reply, but merely stared in her direction, void of any emotion.

"Tch! D-Don't think this is the end, Mart-Mart! We'll be back, and next time I'll be certain to make sure that there's nothing left of you!"

Alice hoisted Decus' unmoving body up onto her monster, before climbing on herself.

She spared them all one last contemptuous glare, before her creature rapidly bounded away.

Marta gazed, incredulous, at the boy who just saved their lives, and slowly made her way towards him and Emil.

"U-Umm...Th-Thank you...for rescuing us from Alice and Decus. I-If you don't mind my asking...who are you? Wh-What's your name?"

The boy glanced at her, and just when she thought he wouldn't answer, he said, "...I was born without a name."

"What? B-Born...without a name?"

"...But. Someone has called me..." He changed his sentence mid-way. "I was known as 'Dan' once."

"O-Oh. Okay, Dan. Um, thanks again for saving us. B-But why did you decide to help us? I-I mean, not to sound rude, but who are you to us?"

Before he could reply, Emil shakily hoisted himself up with his gunblade. Panting, he glared directly at Dan.

"Haven't you figured it out yet, Marta? This guy..."

Dan calmly sheathed his blood-smeared katana.

"...is the host of Tonitrus' core!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Haha, I'm over-joyed! DAN is here, in _this_ story! He makes his first debut outside of Feral Souls! I love cameos. I hope I can make him just as awesome as he was in his original fic. In _this_ one, however, he's a host! Lol. I make myself excited by doing these sorts of things. Anyway, with this, they'll have found two hosts. Things are heating up, ne? Again, I am sorry for the complete fanfiction inactivity. But now class is officially NOT in session, which means more time for writing. Hooray.

Random quotation of the day:

"Attack life, it's going to kill you anyway."

Said by Steven Coallier, known to me by the senior quotations section of my yearbook.


	7. Backwards Abyss

**Author's Note:** Yikes. Pretty goddamn late on my end, huh? Can't express how sincerely sorry I am, because I _am_, but you don't want to sit there listening to me spout excuses, do you? I thought not. Commence reading at once!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Tales games, Namco does, which reminds me. *cough* Ahem *cough* Tales of Graces F, coming to America! KickASS. Namco, ignore my previous rants about your lazy lack of localization, because I love you again.

* * *

Bubbles frothed as the girl's chest rose and fell with consistency. Her eyes were closed, and she would have appeared serene, encased in a pod-shaped receptacle, floating lazily in yellow-tinged liquid, if not for the mass of tubes and wires protruding from her all along her naked form. Assortments of needles punctured her pale skin, and a particularly large tube was connected at a spot near her jugular. On her stomach was a queer, oval device, occasionally blinking with a dull, crimson light.

Suddenly, her body violently shuddered. Her feeble mind languidly processed pain.

_Again..._

She continued to convulse, by now desensitized enough to the agony that she barely registered the searing sensation of her body seemingly being torn to pieces.

_I dread the day I become used to this hellhole._

She could remotely feel her mind throbbing from the minuscule amount of effort she managed to summon in order to produce thought.

They had done it before. Several times, they have cruelly siphoned her energy. God only knows what they're doing with it.

For her, whilst trapped here, time stood still. Everything she once knew or grew to know became shattered, and diluted down to shambles. Her body, her life, her being, her mind; they all remained stagnant to her.

Only the occasional jolt of excruciating pain reminded her that she was, in fact, still alive, and that there was only one frozen reality: hers.

* * *

"A-Are you serious, Emil?"

Emil grimaced in pain, before answering.

"Yeah. No doubt about it. That's Tonitrus alright. Nobody else could have fought like he did just now."

Marta curiously stared at the new host.

"Tonitrus, huh? The core that controls lightning..." she mused.

The boy, Dan, said nothing. His silver eyepatch glinted in the sparse sunlight cast through the roof of the forest.

Despite his wounds, Emil smirked.

"Well. Then our next stop is obvious. We've found our core, so no point in continuing to Palmacosta. They knew we were heading there anyway. We're gonna head straight for the head of the dragon. The Empire won't know what hit it."

Marta swiveled towards him, surprise plastered across her face.

"Wh-What? _Why_ in the _world_ would we want to go there? I mean..._towards_ the people who want to kill us?"

"Correction. They only want to kill you. They'll just capture the rest of us." Emil grinned as he said this.

Marta rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her metal-plated chest as she did so.

"Gee, that makes me feel so much better."

Emil fixed his gaze upon Dan while still conversing with Marta.

"Seriously, though. We're going directly to Empire headquarters next. The reason being that there is almost certainly the host of a core being held hostage there."

Selena's eyes widened, as Marta cringed in surprise.

"What? H-How can you be so sure?"

"Don't tell me you haven't figured it out for yourself. Haven't you seen all the signs, Marta? First Cargle, then Magnar, then that idiot who turned into that hideous thing, and now this Decus bastard. They're all utilizing power taken from a Centurion's core. Most likely without consent. Unless the host decided to work with them, though I really can't see that happening. The Empire is draining energy from a Centurion's core they have already obtained."

Marta lowered her head, clenching her hands into fists.

"I see...I guess that does make sense."

Emil glared at empty space, his lips forming a silent snarl.

"Those sons of bitches won't know what hit them."

Dan, as unmoving as a statue throughout the entire exchange, suddenly blinked in slight surprise as he felt the small tug right below his waist.

Selena looked up at him with curious eyes, her lips quivering inquisitively.

"Um...why..." she lowered her gaze shyly, not meeting his eyes.

"Why did you help us?"

Dan said nothing for a moment, before replying.

"I was...merely passing through. There is a form of...kinship, after all, between those who possess cores."

His gaze was distant as he said this, as if looking straight through the tangible world in front of him to something beyond; or, perhaps, to something long past, unearthed from within.

Marta's eyebrows were raised in slight surprise from this. Dan didn't seem to be the type of person to say such a thing.

Emil scrutinized him, assessing his behavior, before speaking once more.

"So, then. What's your deal, really? You decide to help us - from a whim, it looks like - but what next, hm? Or for that matter, what's happened to you before this? It feels like you just cropped up out of nowhere."

With no shift in expression, and without missing a beat, Dan responded.

"I feel no obligation to convey my past to you."

Emil laughed.

"Whatever. It ain't for me to pry into. But it doesn't change the fact that you're a host, and it's my job to string you along. Come with us to the Empire's headquarters. Not that I'm giving you a choice in the matter. You're one less host we need to find."

To everyone's surprise, Dan nodded, showing not the slightest bit of resistance.

"I was planning to head there, anyway. With or without help."

Emil's eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

Dan's eyes narrowed in turn, more coldly.

"As I have told you, I will divulge nothing. I act solely off of _my_ prerogative, regardless of our meeting. And it will remain that way."

Emil regarded Dan with suspicion, his mind racing.

_This is strange. I know next to nothing about this guy, but I can't shake the feeling that...I should be wary around him. He isn't ordinary, even for a host. There's...something about him that's different. He's lost an eye, apparently, and has experience in combat, but that's all I can garner. Why does _he_ need to go to the Empire, anyway? What's there for _him_?_

Emil gruffly shook his head, clearing away his thoughts about Dan. There were more pressing matters, after all.

"Right, then. We have to move, since they can apparently track us down instantly. I don't want to get caught off guard like that again."

"They won't be able to do so, if we move quickly. They only found you because they knew your general location, and had your energy signature tracked."

Emil stared at Dan.

"And how do _you_ know that?"

Dan swiveled to face the vague direction of their destination.

"I've tangled with them before, is all."

He said nothing more, and walked, not bothering to make sure that the others followed.

They did nonetheless, each immersed in his or her own mixed feelings.

* * *

The fire blazed, whipping to and fro as sparks dispersed from the tips of the flames.

Marta prodded the campfire with a wooden stick, making certain that it would last them however long they needed it to.

She glanced back at Emil, resting against a tree trunk.

"...Are you really gonna be okay for this, Emil? You've gotten pretty badly hurt, and...to face the Empire so soon..." She bit her lip, concern etched clearly unto her face.

He lightly smiled back at her, emerald eyes glowing faintly in the light from the fire.

"I'll be fine, Marta. Centurion's hosts have a sturdier body composition than most others. I'll be back to normal in no time; one night's rest, and I'll be in decent enough shape. O-Oh! U-Um...not that I'm saying that you're weak or anything since you don't have a c-core, just that you don't have to worry about me."

Marta laughed. She was, by now, used to Emil's turbulent mood swings, and couldn't help but be at least a little amused at how peculiar they made him.

On the other side of the fire sat Dan, seemingly in deep thought. Marta couldn't be sure, however, since his silence was nothing out of the ordinary for him.

Marta smiled faintly as she gazed at Selena, who was fascinated by the fluid, snaking motions of the fire, eyes widened as she looked upon the dancing swirls of orange, mesmerized.

They would arrive there in four days' time, and could only hope to the Gods that all would go well.

* * *

She was jostled awake from her pseudo-eternal slumber, bubbles coiling around her form.

_What...?_

Her stasis was almost never interrupted, and the few times that it was happened only early on, and only because they hadn't quite figured out how to handle her energy efficiently.

She was startled as the ground beneath her rumbled, and the ceiling shook, as if reverberating from some faraway impact.

The rumbling continued, at scattered intervals, and reached such a point that she was actually distracted from her ever-present pain.

_What is...going on? An...earthquake? N-No, it seems too unnatural._

Her exhausted mind was bewildered. Up until now, she had struggled, but eventually had given up hope. Her soul, whatever remained of it, had crumbled.

But now...for some unfathomable, distorted, inconceivable reason, she once again dared to take a second guess at her fate.

_Something_ out there, perhaps whatever was the cause of the rumbling, had given her something to grasp, in place of a lifeline.

She didn't know what it was. But she knew that she could not release her hold, lest she plummet the last few inches all the way into the depths of the gaping mouth of Hell.

* * *

"So WHOSE fucking _brilliant_ idea was this, again?" Emil hollered.

"We all agreed to it, you jackass!" Marta angrily spat back.

The tension between the group was understandably high. The situation all but warranted such behavior. Since...

"Will you two just put a lid on it, and RUN?" Selena screamed, her eyes widened in terror.

Dan merely put a hand to his forehead and softly sighed.

For behind them all was nothing short of a literal wave of impending doom.

Turrets, cannons, soldiers, and all manners of weaponry, all of which bore the Empire's distinctive insignia, were aimed at their backs.

Lasers and gunfire careened towards and around them, bouncing off walls, scorching the ground they left behind.

The four sprinted for their lives across the courtyard of the castle-like infrastructure, their feet pounding against the blades of grass beneath them, scattering droplets of dew with each step.

On either side of them, doors suddenly swung open, and a sea of Imperial soldiers poured out towards them.

"Shit!" Emil cursed. He suddenly screeched to a halt, and swung himself around so fast his outline blurred, holding his gunblade in front of him.

He swung his arm around one hundred and eighty degrees, keeping his finger on the trigger as he did so, spraying the mass of guards in front of him with a shower of purple bullets.

Several fell or were forced to shield themselves, but others managed to hold their ground.

Emil growled, then turned back to the others for a moment.

"Hurry! _Go! _I'll keep them busy!"

"What? B-But, Emil, what about-"

"Marta, just go! Don't mind me!"

Marta showed every sign of refusing his demand, and was about to angrily retort, before she found herself unceremoniously hauled up on Dan's shoulder.

"H-Hey! What're you-? Put me down!"

Dan said nothing, but picked Selena up as well, by the scruff of her neck, and dashed towards the huge double doors at the end of the courtyard.

Emil, engaged in fierce battle, glanced back for a moment, to see that Dan had done so as well for a brief moment.

Dan nodded his head a fraction of an inch, in apparent acknowledgement.

The corner of Emil's mouth twitched upwards in a small smirk, and he nodded as well.

Dan crossed the boundaries of the double doors, and swiftly shut them behind him.

Emil placed his foot solidly in a soldier's gut, sending him flying.

He took a moment to catch his breath and assess his situation.

A circle of knights and soldiers, surrounding him, all with their weapons poised to strike.

A bead of sweat slid down his face.

_30...no, 50...more than that, even. _

"Tch."

_How troublesome._

_

* * *

_

Inside one of the spires flanking the main building, Marta rounded on Dan furiously.

"Why did you let him do that? Are all men this stupid? We have to go back and-!"

Dan silenced her with a glare.

"Are you willing to throw his sacrifice away? He created an opening that allowed us to proceed. Otherwise, we would have all been caught. This is a chance that does not come easily. Stifle your emotions, or we'll never even come close to success."

The beginnings of tears pricked the corners of Marta's eyes.

"But...I can't just leave Emil to his..."

"Do not worry. They will not kill him. What's important is to accomplish what we came here to do. We'll rescue him in due time as well, if need be."

Marta closed her eyes in frustration, then pushed down a sob, and walked on without saying another word.

Selena trailed close behind, worry etched onto her features.

Dan raised an eyebrow, nearly sighed, and fell into step behind them.

Marta abruptly crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"And...just where are we supposed to go from here, exactly?"

Dan turned his head towards the left, then to the right.

"...I believe the unwilling host is being restrained in the main building. That's where I can sense h...I mean, its energy."

Marta stared at him curiously.

_What was that? He was about to say something...but corrected himself. _

She shook her head.

_Never mind. It's not important right now._

"Then, how do you suppose we get in?" she asked.

Dan contemplated this for a few moments.

"We shall do it the only way we meatbags crammed full of unwarranted energy know how."

Marta blinked.

"So...how, exactly...?"

For the first time, Marta witnessed a smile - actually, it was more of a smirk - pervading Dan's face, as he replied.

"Forcefully."

Marta found it more than a little disconcerting.

* * *

The rumbling ceased for a time, though she didn't know whether that was a good thing or not.

All became quiet, almost unnervingly so.

She, however, suddenly felt a form of foreboding, as if something was about to change. Whether literally or figuratively, she wasn't sure, but she was certain that something irrevocable was approaching, a some sign or marking of impending doom or fortune.

She didn't have to be able to see to know that the wall to the side of her split open. The noise was deafening. She could just barely distinguish the sound of several bodies tumbling through the opening.

"Is barging into things head-on the _only thing we know how to do_?" Marta seethed.

"Stop complaining," Dan deadpanned. "It worked, did it not?"

"Only because I doubt anyone could've suspected that we would _leap from the west tower into the central infrastructure! _How the hell did you know exactly where to jump to, anyway?"

"There is a connection between hosts. I thought you knew that."

"I still wouldn't expect you to just charge blindly at a blank wall..." Marta grumbled.

She blinked, taken aback.

"S-So this is the host? What've they done to her?" she whispered in horror as she gazed upon the seedy yellow tank, the girl's blue hair floating in the liquid.

Dan's eyes sharpened and narrowed, before he grimaced and immediately strode over to a large, beeping machine.

He swiftly pressed a single button, on which was labeled in large, blocky letters: "DISENGAGE".

The container suddenly released volumes of steam, and split open, as if cleaved down the middle. The liquid in the tank drained away, before the needles and devices all withdrew from the girl inside. She was unceremoniously dumped out of the machine, and would have fallen to the ground had Dan not caught her.

He took off his black cloak and draped it over her naked form.

Marta stared at the girl's several puncture marks in revulsion.

"This...this is horrible. They've gone too far this time!" She angrily spat.

The alarms overhead suddenly blared, and the room flashed with red light at even intervals.

Dan glanced unconcernedly around them.

"They've realized that we've released the host. Hurry, unless you want to be caught."

A chuckle was heard from the doorway, causing Marta to swivel around in alarm.

"Too late!"

Marta gritted her teeth.

"Decus...and Alice. What have you done with Emil?" she demanded.

Alice grinned.

"Why, nothing at all, Mart-Mart. In _fact_, if you want him back so badly, all you need to do is ask!" she giggled.

She gestured to Decus, who bowed, before hauling someone else into the room, bound by thick ropes, and who was clearly struggling with all his might.

Selena gasped.

"E-Emil!"

Decus flipped his hair back and smirked, throwing Emil over to them.

He fell harshly onto the cold, marble floor, before Marta hastily scurried over to him and sliced apart his restraints.

He gasped when Marta removed his gag, coughing a few times, before glaring at the duo blocking their exit.

"What are you playing at?" he growled. "Why did you let me go?"

Alice smiled.

"Why, to prove a point. Orders from our leader, you see. We want to crush your spirits, and show you evidence that, even together, you stand no chance against the might of our Empire. We'll simply bundle you up and recapture you all together."

Emil sneered.

"Hah. Sorry to burst your bubble, but you two are the only ones who've made it here this quickly, correct? The footsteps of the nearest soldier are several hallways away; they can't come and aid in nearly enough time. And we are more than enough to dispatch of the two of you."

Alice giggled once more.

"Oh? Is that right? And who told you that we were the only ones here? Sorry, Ratty-kins, but it won't be _us _you'll be fighting."

Emil stared at her, bewildered.

"What...? Who the hell else is there?" he roared.

A sadistic smile pervaded Alice's face.

She pointed a single gloved finger at the currently unconscious girl.

"_Her_, of course."

She then whipped a device out of nowhere, and pushed its single red button.

Dan was startled as the girl he was holding suddenly shrieked at the top of her lungs, emitting a shockwave that pushed him backwards. He cursed as his feet skid across the ground, away from her.

The dark cloak billowed around the girl's form as she clutched her head in agony, and started floating upwards. She hissed, snarled, growled, gurgled, until her eyes snapped wide open, revealing nothing but vibrant yellow light. Her pupils had disappeared. Her skin shined with reflected light as incandescence blazed all around her form.

Alice waved cheerily at them.

"Have fuuun!"

Both she and Decus retreated from the room, and every wall and opening within its confines was suddenly covered by a firm, metal screen, each of which slammed down onto the ground with a resounding clang.

Emil growled.

"Shit! They're trapping us in here with a host that's gone berserk!"

"Tch," Dan shielded his eyes with one hand against the immensely bright light emitting from the girl.

"It's that device bound to her stomach," he stated as he gestured toward said device.

The queer machine was clamped about the girl's abdomen, glowing a malevolent red as it constantly discharged sparks.

"We get rid of that, and she'll regain her mind."

Emil smirked.

"That's fine with me! This'll be over in a heartbeat!" he yelled as he leapt up, his blade soaring in an arc towards the metal apparatus constraining the girl's solar plexus.

She snarled, however, and flung her arm out at him like a whip. His eyes widened, before he was struck with an intense blast of golden light, sending him careening backwards, his back colliding with the metal sheet covered wall.

Selena furrowed her eyebrows, and began hurling icicles at the girl, while Marta flung both her spinners at her at a curved angle.

The girl spun around in a spiral, projecting a wide field of light around her, which bursted out into an explosion, sending the spinners flying uselessly away and shattering the shards of ice. Marta and Selena were also hurled back, clumsily catching and steadying themselves before duo beacons of light shot towards the both of them. Marta yelled, and flung herself towards Selena, barely throwing the both of them out of harm's way in time.

"O-Ow..." Marta exclaimed, rubbing her singed back. The light had burned through to the skin on her back, smoky trails rising from where it had directly impacted her.

Emil panted, before wincing at the bright spectacle before him.

"Dammit...why the hell is she so strong?"

"She has been forced into her feral state, her basest of forms, following only wild instinct and raw power. She knows nothing but to destroy whatever's in front of her, and her power is amplified as a result of her condition, drawing out from her depths nothing but pure energy," Dan replied.

He sighed, before seeming to sadly gaze at the girl floating in front of him.

"In addtion, she is the host of Lumen, the core of light. There are two cores of the seven that are basically unfiltered, undiluted forms of energy, with light being one of them. This particular element is one of the most difficult to deal with, as it contains more power than almost any other, aside from its counterpart from the opposite end of the spectrum."

"Kh...well that's just effing great, then! How will we defeat her, short of completely annihilating her blindly?" Emil demanded.

The girl viciously growled, before whipping out at Dan, who managed to dash out of the way in time, a tentacle of light slamming the area vacated only moments before.

"It is true that we cannot overpower her as of right now," Dan contemplated. "Which is why, I suppose, you'll have to rely on me."

Emil stared at him in confusion.

Dan exhaled slowly.

"I did not want to resort to this. But it would seem that I have no choice in the matter."

In one fluid motion, Dan stripped off his silver eyepatch, flinging it sharply onto the ground beside him.

Marta and Emil let out a collective gasp.

"Wh-_**What?**_" Emil hoarsely shouted.

For Dan's right eye was not blue, like his other, but a deep, dark, insidious purple. Wisps of shadow drifted from his eye as it pulsated with darkness, as if it possessed its own beating heart. One could barely discern a pupil within the swirling mass that glowed such a darkened purple that it seemed nearly black.

Another bundle of light careened towards Dan. He merely raised his katana and swiped it aside effortlessly, his right eye gleaming even darker for a moment as he did so. Both eyes now burned and ignited with their respective colors: one glowing azure, the other palpitating a forlorn violet.

Two auras were now meshing together, crackling around his form; sparks of blue tangled and weaved around jagged bolts of darkness.

Emil was rendered speechless for a few dwindling moments.

"How...how can this...there's no way. This is unheard of. Utterly unprecented. How is it, Dan..." Emil clenched his teeth.

"...that you are the host of Tonitrus **_and_** Tenebrae?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, so... is Dan badass, or what? I certainly hope so, because then it would mean that I did something right. Once more, I profusely apologize for my tardy streak. But the story's definitely not dead yet, in any sense of the word!

Random Quotation of the day:

"That day...all female officers will be required to wear TINY MINISKIRTS!"

Roy Mustang is a flame that will never die. Thank the heavens for Travis Willingham.


	8. Ground Level

**Author's Note:** I update too slowly! Dammit all! At least it's here. Please save the angry mutilation of my fragile body until _after_ you've the chapter. It's all I can hope to ask for.

Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia does not have the terrible, terrible misfortune of being owned by a mongrel like myself. The plot within this story, however, was not as lucky.

* * *

The girl continued to snarl, yet Dan's gaze remained impassive as energy radiated from what seemed like every pore on his body.

She lashed out, causing strands of light to spurt towards him.

He dashed forward towards the space directly under her, rendering the attack useless as it harmlessly struck the ground he left behind.

Dan unsheathed his katana and pointed it above him, before releasing its top half once more with a squeeze of the hilt.

The partial blade, empowered with a swath of crackling energy, struck the machine strapped to the girl's chest with precision. It became promptly obliterated, and flecks of scrap metal were strewn across the floor.

"He actually pulled it off!" Emil yelled, grinning as he saw the device rend apart before his eyes.

Dan's eyes, however, widened when a column of light descended and speared his shoulder.

He gritted his teeth and violently shrugged away, tearing the light away from his flesh before it sunk in any further.

"Wh-What?" Marta exclaimed.

"Damn," Dan ground out.

"I-I thought she'd go back to normal if we removed it!" Selena stammered.

"It seems as if," Dan said while grimacing. "Removing it shall not be enough. It's not like an on-off switch. It most likely activates _once_, stimulating the wearer's innermost instincts of survival, before shutting off for good."

"So..." Emil growled, through gnashed teeth. "So she's stuck like this?"

Dan leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding another lucent barrage.

"Perhaps..." was all he uttered in response.

Emil made a move towards them, but halted as Dan swiveled to face him.

"No. Do not interfere. You'd likely make things worse."

"And _you_ won't?" Emil bristled angrily. "What can you do by yourself?"

Dan turned back towards the source of the blazing radiance.

"Just trust me."

And with that, he jumped back in the direction of the girl, rapidly ascending to her position.

Spotting him, she shrieked once more and had blades of light converge upon his person.

Without batting an eye, Dan unsheathed his katana, swiped it once to neutralize the entire attack, causing the blades to revert into thin wisps, before hurling his weapon away to the side.

Marta witnessed this in confusion.

"He threw his...weapon away?"

Dan drew up, level with the girl, before firmly grasping both her shoulders with his palms. He locked his gaze with hers.

She roared, however, and coated her entire arm with light, before plunging it into his stomach, using her fingers as makeshift daggers.

Dan winced, and a dribble of blood bubbled from the corner of his mouth. However, his gaze remained steady, and he glared at her.

"Come back," he uttered.

The girl seemed to not heed his words in the slightest as the pair succumbed to gravity and dropped to the ground like pebbles.

Both of them landed on their feet, with the girl's hand still encased in Dan's flesh. Nearly overwhelmed, Dan wobbled in place.

Yet, even as he was panting in pain and fatigue, Dan continued to stubbornly look into the girl's eyes, which were glazed golden, bereft of pupils.

"You...moron," Dan whispered. "I _said_, come back."

The light in the girl's eyes seemed to flicker, before her mouth opened in what seemed to be confusion.

She growled, and thrust her hand still deeper, causing Dan to grunt in pain.

Not yielding in the slightest, however, Dan gritted his teeth, between which blood now seeped through, and fixed her with a stare of such intensity it made her flinch.

"It's finally become a time when I can be the one to help _you_, a time when I can even begin to pay back the debt I owe," Dan spoke, his grip upon her shoulders tightening.

"Therefore, if you deny me this chance, so help me God, I swear I will _never_ forgive you. Not within this eternity. So..."

The glow in her eyes flickered at a more rapid pace than before, akin to a ruptured light bulb.

"_Come the hell back! This **instant**!" _He snarled, with ferocity rivaling hers.

She seemed to struggle for a moment, almost choking. The next instant, she faltered, nearly stumbling, but when she regained her balance and raised her gaze once more, her eyes had melded into a bright emerald green.

She gasped, in what appeared to be agony, as sweat dribbled down the sides of her face.

"Wh...Wh..." she managed to wheeze out, utterly disoriented.

"What's going on here...?"

It was then that she took in her surroundings, noticing that she lacked any clothing save for the tattered black cloak draped over her shoulders and that someone was directly in front of her, in a slouched position.

"H-Huh?" was her confused query as she realized that her hand was stuck in something moist.

She heard her own sharp intake of breath as she suddenly froze, horrified.

"Oh...my G-God..." She withdrew her hand at once, not without a sickening plunging sound as her hand exited Dan's stomach. She let out a soft yelp, nearly collapsing in mortification at the sight of her hand slathered with someone else's blood.

"Are you okay? There's so much bl-" she broke off and trembled. "D-Did I...? Oh God, what have I done? Please...Please say something!" she yelled frantically, lightly slapping at Dan's cheeks, due to the fact that his eyes were closed.

They opened, much to her relief, and he smiled.

"I'm fine, already. Glad to see you haven't changed in the slightest."

At his statement, she paused, before a questioning look made its way onto her visage.

"Ex-Excuse me, but...do I know you?"

At her words, Dan's smile froze in place.

"What?" was all he seemed able to say.

"U-Um, forgive me, but...who are you? Have we met before? A-Are you perhaps talking of our Centurion's Cores?"

Dan lowered his gaze, eyes downcast.

_It's almost as if he's more injured by her words than his wounds,_ thought Marta, as she looked upon the scene with wonder.

Almost immediately, he raised his head once more, with no change in expression from before, and turned in place, facing away from the girl.

"No. My mistake. For a moment, you looked remarkably similar to someone I once knew." Little to no emotion was present within his tone. "Now, let us hurry. I will explain everything to you later, but for now we must escape, before they catch on to the fact that we've reverted you from your feral state."

He began walking away, but nearly tumbled to the floor with one step. As it was, he landed on his knees, gasping softly as pain threatened to overtake him.

The girl scurried over to his side at once, kneeling once she reached him, attempting to hold him steady.

"P-Please wait! You're hurt b-because of me; if you move around too much, it'll strain your wound..."

"I told you," he panted. "I am fine. I do not require any...assistance."

The girl bit her lip.

"You're obviously not 'fine'! L-Look, I...can vaguely remember what happened, though it's all one confusing blur. I was confined in that awful tank for who knows how long, and then they set off some sort of...trigger. W-Well, it's sort of a huge blank after that, but I can guess what occurred. You...saved me, didn't you? I thought that once I became a-" She broke off for a moment, before shaking her head and continuing.

"...A monster, there wouldn't be any going back. But you risked your very life so that I could regain myself. Please...Please let me at least return this one favor," she implored.

He glanced at her, before bitterly smiling.

"Such irony. Now _you're _the one saying that you owe _me_ a favor."

"What...?" she said, bemused. "A-Anyway! You're not going to move about freely in that state, whether you like it or not!"

With that, she hoisted one of his arms over her shoulder and heaved him up.

It was then that she finally noticed that other people were present in the room as well.

"Oh...d-did I injure you all as well? P-Please forgive me!"

"Yeah, yeah," Emil grunted. "We're alright. It's the fool you're holding that's in real trouble. Like he says, we'll ask questions later. For now, we gotta get out of here. Though there's one thing you might wanna tell us, you know. We can't call you 'you' forever."

The girl blinked, before catching on.

"Oh! O-Of course. My name is Vamalia. Sorry for not mentioning it before."

"Pleasure," Emil said offhandedly as he himself glanced around the room. He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he acknowledged to himself that the walls of steel were airtight.

"Dan, help me out here," Emil gestured towards him. "I can't break these things by myself."

"Wha-What are you saying?" Vamalia bristled, indignant. "You can't honestly expect anything like that out of him now with how hurt he is!"

She folded both arms over Dan protectively, as if to shield him, glaring all the while.

"Relax," Emil deadpanned. "He's pretty messed up, yeah, but that doesn't really hinder his ability to release energy from his Centurion's Core. He didn't use much of it while fighting you, after all. Besides, it's either that or we're stuck here 'til they decide to check up on how we're doing and we're all sunk anyway."

"But...but..."

Her feeble retort was cut off as Dan spoke instead.

"It's alright. I can manage that much more, at least."

Vamalia frowned as she noticed that whenever speaking to her, he would never look her directly in the eyes.

Dan lifted his hand and fired a condensed vortex, composed of black and blue energy swaths, at the wall in the front of him.

Right as it impacted the thick metal, Emil aimed his gunblade at the same spot, before vigorously pulling the trigger.

"**Lucifer's Gospel!**" He roared. A humongous compact sphere flashed crimson as it erupted from the end of his weapon and collided with the wall, conjoining itself with the attack Dan had already unleashed.

The energies meshed and melded, convulsing against the wall, before the pressure built up and tension finally shattered the steel from which it was composed. Specks of glinting metal scattered away from the radius of the ensuing blast.

"Hurry, please!" Emil had reverted back to his gentler self, but was nonetheless urgently gesturing for everyone to escape through the opening he and Dan had created.

Marta noticed Vamalia determinedly hauling Dan along with her. She was surprised to see that she didn't seem to find Emil's dynamic personality to be abnormal.

_Come to think of it_, Marta mused, _Selena didn't so much as blink when she saw him change, either..._

However, she shook herself out of her thoughts and followed closely behind the others.

* * *

Breathing heavily, Vamalia paced as fast as she could without dropping Dan, keeping his arm firmly hooked around her shoulders.

"Are we...safe, yet?" she wheezed.

"We've reached the outer rim of the forest, in a different direction from whence we came," Emil patiently explained. "I wouldn't say we're completely in the clear, since we're still dangerously close to their headquarters, but as long as we keep up the pace, they shouldn't be able to catch up to us."

Dan's breaths came out hoarser than before, to the point that each one he took was a more of a gasp instead.

"We...We can't keep going like this!" Vamalia exclaimed, gazing desperately at the others around her, the fear in her voice evident. "He's lost so much blood already, and if we don't stop to rest, he'll die for certain!"

Emil glanced back, causing her to stiffen involuntarily. However, she stood her ground.

"You're right," he sighed. "We'll have to take the risk and stay put for a bit. Marta, do you still have that sack of supplies we got from Luin?"

As Marta nodded, Vamalia visibly relaxed as she slid Dan carefully onto the base of a nearby tree, noticing that he had already fallen into a slumber, albeit a restless one, if his strained panting was any indication. She blinked, however, when Marta suddenly tapped her shoulder.

"Here. There were some clothes in the bag. They're not the best fit or the most comfortable, but I figure you could use something to wear other than Dan's mussed up old cloak."

Vamalia stared at the offered garments, brown in color, for a few moments, before blushing faintly.

"Th-Thank you. I hadn't even realized since I was a bit preoccupied..."

She took the proffered clothes gratefully, before tiptoeing behind a tree to change into them. She mentally remarked that they were more like over-sized, shoddy rags than actual clothes, but she supposed one couldn't be picky in her situation.

She emerged and noticed Marta tending to Dan's stomach wound with bandages and ointment obtained from the sack. She watched silently for several seconds, before speaking.

"So...i-is that his name?"

In the middle of tearing a bandage with her teeth, Marta looked up.

"Pardon?" she said, after removing the strip of cloth from her mouth.

"Before...when you mentioned his cloak. You said that his name was 'Dan'."

Marta nodded.

"Well, it's at least what he told us to call him. I'm Marta, by the way. I guess with everything that's been happening, we haven't had the chance to introduce ourselves. The one standing guard over there's Emil, and the little girl is Selena."

At the mention of his name, Emil looked in their direction and treaded over to them.

"Is he going to be okay?" he inquired softly.

"Well," Marta began. "If he were normal, there would've been almost a sure chance that he'd die from an injury like this. But...I suppose that being a host allows him to take hits a lot worse than regular people could. In fact, the wound's already starting to patch itself up. All I could do was bandage it up and disinfect it, but his body's regenerating itself under its own power."

Emil nodded.

"Having _two_ cores makes that possible. I still can't believe that one individual can house two spirits within his body, in addition to his own."

He turned towards Vamalia, his eyes suddenly crimson.

"Alright, then. Let's cut to the chase. What's your story? And for that matter, what's his?" He pointed to Dan.

"Wh-What? How would I know anything about-"

"You said before that you didn't know him. But is that _really_ the case? He sure as hell seemed to recognize you."

Her gaze was downcast. Her lip trembled.

"I...even if I did, it's no use. Other than the knowledge that comes with my Centurion's Core, I have virtually no personal memories to speak of. My past life, my previous home, any friends I might have had...the only thing I can remember is my name. All I know is that I was somehow captured by them, and then my life, or whatever remained of it, became a living hell. In that container...my feelings became numbed, my mind had been broken, my thoughts were in shambles, and I had nearly no concept of self anymore. Pain was all I could feel, and I'd already grown used to the constant agony. But then..."

She glanced at Dan, a trace of fondness in her features.

"Something shook the foundations of my figurative prison. You all came to rescue me, and when I woke up, I saw him. Of course, it...it was horrible, with my hand in his stomach, but at that moment, I...felt reborn. My mind had cleared and I was a whole person once more, just like that. I finally had an identity to grasp hold of. And it was all because of him. Because he saved me."

She bit her lip, her anxiety evident.

"And yet...and yet...I hurt him. He's like this because of me, as a result of _saving_ me, and...I feel like I can never make it up to him."

"You can start," another voice cut in. "By not blaming yourself for every little detail. If you start doing that, I really will become angry."

Vamalia gasped, swiveling to meet the glaring eyes of Dan.

"You're...awake. Um, did you hear everything I said, D-Dan?"

He pulled himself up into a slouching position, so that the tree didn't need to support him as much.

"Is my name difficult to pronounce? You hesitated while saying it."

She blushed.

"I-I, um...sorry. It feels a little...uncomfortable calling you by name."

"Why?" came his half-demand.

She looked away, her expression unsteady.

"...I don't know."

He sighed.

"Although I would like nothing better than to continue this fascinating conversation..."

Simultaneously, Marta's eyes widened and Emil's head snapped up.

"...It seems we don't have the time to fritter about. What we do have is unwelcome company."

Emil growled and unsheathed his gunblade, while Marta ushered Selena behind her.

Dan struggled to bring himself into a standing position, one hand gripping his bandaged wounds.

The foliage around them burst as Empire soldiers swarmed into the clearing.

"I can't tell you how relieved and glad I am to see you once more, Aster. I've been waiting for this chance for a long time now."

Emil's eyes widened, and became scorched with an unprecedented ferocity. His face tightened, his body trembled, and his fists were clenched tightly in fury.

"For the goddamned last time," he seethed.

A man with hair akin to flames was the last to emerge from the clustered thicket. He pushed his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, wearing a small smile as he did so.

"..._My name's not fucking Aster!"_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Three guesses who it is there at the end. Not like it's not easy to figure out. Anyway, the chapter's a bit short, but otherwise, I like how it turned out. Review to inspire me to update faster! Gawd, I'm shameless.

Random quotation of the day:

"I will protect my friends!"

-Nearly every single anime known to man.


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